THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT 


LOUISE     MUHLBACH 


10 


"WILL    YOU  ACCEPT  THIS  PLEDGE  OF  FRIENDSHIP  AT  MY  HANDS?" 
Muhlbach  —  "  Napoleon  and  t  lie  Queen  o/  Prussia"   I'ol.    Ten,  p.  267 


THE  WORKS  OF 

LOU  ISE    MU  HLBACH 

IN     EIGHTEEN     VOLUMES 


NAPOLEON  AND 
THE   QUEEN    OF.  PRUSSIA 


FRONTISPIECES  IN  COLOR  FROM  PAINTINGS  BY 
WALTER   H.   EVERETT 


NEW  YORK 
P.    F.    COLLIER    &    SON 

M  C  M  I   I 


10 


COPYRIGHT  1867,  1893 
Bv  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


10 


URL 
5RU 


COISTTEKTS. 


CHAPTER 

I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 


XVI. 
XVII. 

xvin. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 


BOOK   I. 

Ferdinand  von  Schill, 

The  German  Song, 

The  Oath  of  Vengeance,   . 

In  Berlin,      . 

Quiet  is  the  Citizen's  First  Duty, 

The  Faithful  People  of  Stettin,    . 

The  Queen's  Flight,  . 

Napoleon  in  Potsdam, 

Sans-Souci,        .... 

Napoleon's  En  try  into  Berlin, 

Napoleon  and  Talleyrand, 

The  Princess  von  Hatzfeld, 

The  Suppliant  Princes,     . 

Triumph  and  Defeat,    . 

The  Victoria  of  Brandenburg  Gate, 


BOOK   II. 

The  Treaty  of  Charlottenburg,     . 
The  Secret  Council  of  State,     . 

Baron  von  Stein 

The  Queen  at  the  Peasant's  Cottage, 

Count  Puckler,      .... 

The  Patriot's  Death, 

Peace  Negotiations, 

The  Slanderous  Articles,   . 

The  Justification, 

Countess  Mary  Walewska, 

The  Dantzic  Chocolate, 


PAOB 

1 

.     11 
19 

.     32 

39 
.  45 

54 
.  64 

70 
.  82 

93 

.  103 

113 

.   122 

132 


137 
144 
152 
161 
172 
181 
191 
197 
205 
218 
228 


BOOK   III. 

XXVII.     Tilsit. — Napoleon  and  Alexander, 
XXVUI.     Queen  Louisa,       .... 

A — MUHLBACH  iit 


.       235 
.  246 

VOL.   10 


iv 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIX.     Bad  Tidings, .252 

XXX.  Queen  Louisa  and  Napoleon,     .        .        •        .        .  261 

BOOK  IT. 

XXXI.     Baron  von  Stein 274 

XXXII.     The  Patriot 280 

XXXIII.  Johannes  von  Miiller, 289 

XXXIV.  The  Call, 300 

XXXV.     Financial  Calamities 309 

XXXVI.     Prince  William, 318 

XXXVII.     The  Genius  of  Prussia, 326 

XXXVIII.     A  Family  Dinner, 335 

BOOK  V. 

XXXIX.     French  Erfurt 347 

XL.     The  Conspirators, 358 

XLI.  The.  Festivities  of  Erfurt  and  Weimar,         .         .       367 

XLII.     Napoleon  and  Goethe, 376 

XLIII.  The  Chase  and  the  Assassins,         ...         -      381 

V 

BOOK  VI. 

XLIV.     The  War  with  Austria 390 

XLV.     Josephine's  Farewell 396 

XLVI.     Ferdinand  von  Schill, 408 

XLVII.     Schill  takes  the  Field 419 

XLVIII.     Schill's  Death,   .         .   • 427 

XLIX.     The  Parade  at  Schonbrunn 435 

L.  Napoleon  at  Schonbrunn,  ......  440 

LI.     Frederick  Staps, 448 

LJI.  An  Execution,   ....'...  456 

BOOK   VII. 

LIII.     Homeward  Bound, 466 

LIV.  The  Emperor  Francis  and  Metternich,       .        .        .  472 

LV.     The  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa 478 

LVI.  The  Queen's  Birthday,         .        .        .        .        .        .487 

LVII.  Louisa's  Death,               ......      499 


NAPOLEON    AND 
THE    gUEEN    OF    PRUSSIA 


NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 


BOOK  I. 

CHAPTER   I. 

FERDINAND     VON     SCHILL. 

PROFOUND  silence  reigned  in  the  valleys  and  gorges  of 
Jena  and  Auerstadt.  The  battles  were  over.  The  victorious 
French  had  marched  to  Jena  to  repose  for  a  few  days,  while 
the  defeated  Prussians  had  fled  to  Weimar,  or  were  wandering 
across  the  fields  and  in  the  mountains,  anxiously  seeking  for 
inaccessible  places  where  they  might  conceal  their  presence 
from  the  pursuing  enemy. 

A  panic  had  seized  the  whole  army.  All  presence  of  mind 
and  sense  of  honor  seemed  to  be  lost.  Every  one  thought 
only  of  saving  his  life,  and  of  escaping  from  the  conquer- 
ing arms  of  the  invincible  French.  Here  and  there,  it  is 
true,  officers  succeeded  by  supplications  and  remonstrances 
in  stopping  the  fugitives,  and  in  forming  them  into  small 
detachments,  with  which  the  commanders  attempted  to  join 
the  defeated  and  retreating  main  force. 

But  where  was  this  main  army  ?  Whither  had  the  Prince 
of  Hohenlohe  directed  his  vanquished  troops  ?  Neither  the 
officers  nor  the  soldiers  knew.  They  marched  along  the  high- 
roads, not  knowing  whither  to  direct  their  steps.  But  as  soon 
as  their  restless  eyes  seemed  to  discern  French  soldiers  at  a 
distance,  the  Prussians  took  to  their  heels,  throwing  their 
muskets  away  to  relieve  their  flight,  and  surrendering  at  dis- 
cretion when  there  was  no  prospect  of  escape.  In  one  in- 
stance a  troop  of  one  hundred  Prussians  surrendered  to  four 
French  dragoons,  who  conducted  their  prisoners  to  headquar- 
ters; and  once  a  large  detachment  hailed  in  a  loud  voice  a 
few  mounted  grenadiers,  who  intended  perhaps  to  escape 


2  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

from  their  superior  force,  and  gave  the  latter  to  understand, 
by  signals  and  laying  down  their  arms,  that  they  only  wished 
to  surrender  and  deliver  themselves  to  the  French. 

The  Prussians  had  reached  Jena  and  Auerstadt  confident 
of  victory,  and  now  had  left  the  battle-field  to  carry  the  terri- 
ble tidings  of  their  defeat,  like  a  host  of  ominously  croaking 
ravens,  throughout  Germany. 

The  battle-field,  on  which  a  few  hours  previously  Death 
had  walked  in  a  triumphant  procession,  and  felled  thousands 
and  thousands  of  bleeding  victims  to  the  ground,  was  now 
entirely  deserted.  Night  had  thrown  its  pall  over  the  hor- 
rors of  this  Calvary  of  Prussian  glory:  the  howling  storm 
alone  sang  a  requiem  to  the  unfortunate  soldiers,  who,  with 
open  wounds  and  features  distorted  with  pain,  lay  in  endless 
rows  on  the  blood-stained  ground. 

At  length  the  night  of  horror  is  over — the  storm  dies  away 
— the  thick  veil  of  darkness  is  rent  asunder,  and  the  sun  of  a 
new  day  arises  pale  and  sad  ;  pale  and  sad  he  illuminates  the 
battle-field,  reeking  with  the  blood  of  so  many  thousands. 

What  a  spectacle !  How  many  mutilated  corpses  lie  pros- 
trate on  the  ground  with  their  dilated  eyes  staring  at  the  sky 
— and  among  them,  the  happy,  the  enviable  !  how  many 
living,  groaning,  bleeding  men,  writhing  with  pain,  unable  to 
raise  their  mutilated  bodies  from  the  gory  bed  of  torture  and 
death ! 

The  sun  discloses  the  terrible  picture  hidden  by  the  pall  of 
night ;  it  illuminates  the  faces  of  the  stark  dead,  but  awakens 
the  living  and  suffering,  the  wounded  and  bleeding,  from 
their  benumbed  slumber,  and  recalls  them  to  consciousness 
and  the  dreadful  knowledge  of  their  wretched  existence. 

With  consciousness  return  groans  and  wails  ;  and  the  dread- 
ful conviction  of  their  wretched  existence  opens  their  lips, 
and  wrings  from  them  shrieks  of  pain  and  despair. 

How  enviable  and  blissful  sleep  the  dead  whose  wounds 
bleed  and  ache  no  longer!  How  wretched  and  pitiable  are 
the  living  as  they  lie  on  the  ground,  tortured  by  the  wounds 
which  the  howling  night  wind  has  dried  so  that  they  bleed 
no  more !  Those  poor  deserted  ones  in  the  valley  and  on  the 
hills  the  sun  has  awakened,  and  the  air  resounds  with  their 
moans  and  cries  and  despairing  groans,  and  heart-rending 
entreaties  for  relief.  But  no  relief  comes  to  them ;  no  cheer- 
ful voice  replies  to  their  wails.  Hundreds,  perhaps  thou- 
sands, had  been  placed  in  the  ambulances,  and,  during  the 
sudden  panic,  the  surgeons  had  left  the  battle-field  with  them. 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  3 

But  hundreds,  nay  thousands,  remained  behind,  and  with  no 
one  to  succor  them! 

From  among  the  crowds  of  wounded  and  dead  lying  on  the 
battle-field  of  Auerstadt,  rose  up  now  an  officer,  severely  in- 
jured in  the  head  and  arm.  The  sun,  which  had  aroused 
him  from  the  apathetic  exhaustion  into  which  he  had  sunk 
from  loss  of  blood  and  hunger,  now  warmed  his  stiffened  limbs, 
and  allayed  somewhat  the  racking  pain  in  his  wounded  right 
arm,  and  the  bleeding  gash  in  his  forehead.  He  tried  to 
extricate  himself  from  under  the  carcass  of  his  horse,  that 
pressed  heavily  on  him,  and  felt  delighted  as  he  succeeded  in 
loosing  his  foot  from  the  stirrup,  and  drawing  it  from  under 
the  steed.  Holding  with  his  uninjured  left  arm  to  the  saddle, 
he  raised  himself  slowly.  The  effort  caused  the  blood  to 
trickle  in  large  drops  from  the  wound  in  his  forehead,  which 
he  disregarded  under  the  joyful  feeling  that  he  had  risen 
again  from  his  death-bed,  and  that  he  was  still  living  and 
breathing.  For  a  moment  he  leaned  faint  and  exhausted 
against  the  horse  as  a  couch;  and  feeling  a  burning  thirst,  a 
devouring  hunger,  his  dark,  flaming  eyes  wandered  around  as 
if  seeking  for  a  refreshing  drink  for  his  parched  palate,  or  a 
piece  of  bread  to  appease  his  hunger. 

But  his  eye  everywhere  met  only  stiffened  corpses,  and  the 
misery  and  horror  of  a  deserted  battle-field.  He  knew  that 
no  food  could  be  found,  as  the  soldiers  had  not,  for  two  days, 
either  bread  or  liquor  in  their  knapsacks.  Hunger  had  been 
the  ally  that  had  paved  the  way  for  the  French  emperor — it 
had  debilitated  the  Prussians  and  broken  their  courage. 

"  I  must  leave  the  battle-field, "  murmured  the  wounded 
soldier;  "  I  must  save  myself  while  I  have  sufficient  strength ; 
otherwise  I  shall  die  of  hunger.  Oh,  my  God,  give  me  strength 
to  escape  from  so  horrible  a  death !  Strengthen  my  feet  for 
this  terrible  walk!" 

He  cast  a  single  fiery  glance  toward  heaven,  one  in  which 
his  whole  soul  was  expressed,  and  then  set  out  on  his  walk. 
He  moved  along  slowly  and  with  tottering  steps  amid  the 
rows  of  corpses,  some  of  which  were  still  quivering  and  moan- 
ing, as  death  drew  near,  while  others  writhed  and  wailed  with 
their  wounds.  Unable  to  relieve  their  racking  pains,  and  to 
assist  them  in  their  boundless  misery,  it  only  remained  for 
him  to  sink  down  among  them,  or  to  avert  his  eyes,  to  close 
his  ears  to  their  supplications,  and  escape  with  hurried  steps 
from  this  atmosphere  of  blood  and  putrefaction,  in  order  to 
rescue  his  own  life  from  the  clutches  of  death. 


4  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

He  hastened,  therefore,  but  his  tearful  eyes  greeted  the 
poor  sufferers  whom  he  passed  on  his  way,  and  his  quivering 
lips  muttered  a  prayer  for  them. 

At  length  the  first  and  most  horrible  part  of  this  dreadful 
field  was  passed,  and  he  escaped  from  the  chaos  of  the  dead 
and  wounded.  That  part,  across  which  he  was  walking  now, 
was  less  saturated  with  gore,  and  the  number  of  corpses  scat- 
tered over  it  was  much  smaller.  Here  and  there  was  the 
wreck  of  a  cannon  besmeared  with  blood  and  mire,  and  empty 
knapsacks,  fragments  of  broken  wagons  and  muskets,  in  the 
utmost  disorder  and  confusion. 

"  Spoils  for  the  marauders,"  whispered  the  wounded  officer, 
pressing  on.  "  It  seems  they  have  not  been  here  yet.  God 
nave  mercy  on  me,  if  they  should  come  now  and  look  on  me, 
too,  as  their  spoil !" 

He  glanced  around  anxiously,  and  in  doing  so  his  eye  be- 
held an  unsheathed,  blood-stained  sabre  lying  near  his  feet. 
He  made  an  effort  to  take  it  up  regardless  of  the  blood  which, 
in  consequence  of  the  effort,  trickled  again  in  larger  drops 
from  his  wounds. 

"  Well/'  he  said,  in  a  loud  and  menacing  voice,  "  I  shall  de- 
fend my  life  at  least  to  the  best  of  my  ability;  the  hateful 
enemies  shall  not  capture  me  as  long  as  I  am  alive.  For- 
ward, then;  forward  with  God!  He  will  not  desert  a  faithful 
soldier!" 

And  supporting  himself  on  his  sabre,  as  if  it  were  a  staff, 
the  officer  walked  on.  Everywhere  he  met  with  the  same 
signs  of  war  and  destruction;  everywhere  he  beheld  corpses, 
blood-stained  cannon-balls,  or  muskets,  which  the  fugitives 
had  thrown  away. 

"Oh,  for  a  drop  of  water!"  groaned  the  officer,  while 
slowly  crossing  the  field ;  "  my  lips  are  parched !" 

Tottering  and  reeling,  with  the  aid  of  his  sabre,  and  by  his 
firm,  energetic  will,  and  the  resolution  of  his  spirit,  he  suc- 
ceeded once  more  in  overcoming  the  weakness  of  his  body. 

He  hastened  on  with  quicker  steps,  and  hope  now  lent 
wings  to  his  feet,  for  yonder,  in  the  rear  of  the  shrubbery,  he 
beheld  a  house;  men  were  there,  assistance  also. 

At  length,  after  untold  efforts,  and  a  terrible  struggle  with 
his  pain  and  exhaustion,  he  reached  the  peasant's  house. 
Looking  up  with  longing  eyes  to  the  windows,  he  shouted : 
"  Oh,  give  me  a  drink  of  water !  Have  mercy  on  a  wounded 
soldier!" 

But  no  voice  responded ;  no  human  face  appeared  behind 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  5 

the  small  green  windows.  Every  thing  remained  silent  and 
deserted. 

With  a  deep  sigh,  and  an  air  of  bitter  disappointment  de- 
picted on  his  features,  he  murmured : 

"  My  feet  cannot  carry  me  any  farther.  Perhaps  my  voice 
was  too  weak,  and  they  did  not  hear  me.  I  will  advance 
closer  to  the  house/' 

Gathering  his  strength,  with  staggering  steps  he  approached 
and  found  the  door  only  ajar;  whereupon  he  opened  it  and 
entered. 

Within  the  house  every  thing  was  as  silent  as  without;  not  a 
human  being  was  to  be  seen;  not  a  voice  replied  to  his  shouts. 
The  inside  of  the  dwelling  presented  a  sorry  spectacle.  All 
the  doors  were  open;  the  clay  floor  was  saturated  here  and 
therewith  blood;  the  small,  low  rooms  were  almost  empty; 
only  some  half-destroyed  furniture,  a  few  broken  jars  and 
other  utensils,  were  lying  about.  The  inmates  either  had  fled 
from  the  enemy,  or  he  had  expelled  them  from  their  house. 

"  There  is  no  help  for  me,"  sighed  the  officer,  casting  a  de- 
spairing glance  on  this  scene  of  desolation.  "  Oh,  why  was  it 
not  vouchsafed  to  me  to  die  on  the  battle-field?  Why  did 
not  a  compassionate  cannon-ball  iiave  mercy  on  me,  and  give 
me  death  on  the  field  of  honor?  Then,  at  least,  I  should  have 
died  as  a  brave  soldier,  and  my  name  would  have  been  honor- 
ably mentioned;  now  I  am  doomed  to  be  named  only  among 
the  missing!  Oh,  it  is  sad  and  bitter  to  die  alone,  unlamented 
by  my  friends,  and  with  no  tear  of  compassion  from  the  eyes 
of  my  queen!  Oh,  Louisa,  Louisa,  you  will  weep  much  for 
your  crown,  for  your  country,  and  for  your  people,  but  you 
will  not  have  a  tear  for  the  poor  lieutenant  of  your  dragoons 
who  is  dying  here  alone  uttering  a  prayer  for  a  blessing  on 
you!  Farewell  queen,  may  God  grant  you  strength,  and — 

His  words  died  away;  a  deadly  pallor  overspread  his  fea- 
tures, his  head  turned  dizzy,  and  a  ringing  noise  filled  his 
ears. 

"  Death !  death !"  he  murmured  faintly,  and,  with  a  sigh, 
he  fell  senseless  to  the  ground. 

Every  thing  had  become  silent  again  in  the  humble  house; 
not  a  human  sound  interrupted  the  stillness  reigning  in  the 
desolate  room.  Only  the  hum  of  a  few  flies,  rushing  with 
their  heads  against  the  window-panes,  was  heard.  Once  a 
rustling  noise  was  heard  in  a  corner,  and  a  mouse  glided 
across  the  floor,  its  piercing,  glittering  eyes  looked  searchingly 
around,  and  the  sight  of  the  bloody,  motionless  form,  lying 


6  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

prostrate  on  the  floor,  seemed  to  affright  it,  for  it  turned  and 
slipped  away  even  faster  than  it  had  approached,  and  disap- 
peared in  the  corner. 

The  sun  rose  higher,  and  shone  down  on  the  dimmed 
windows  of  the  house,  reflecting  their  yellow  outlines  on  the 
floor,  and  illuminated  the  gold  lace  adorning  the  uniform  of 
the  prostrate  and  motionless  officer. 

All  at  once  the  silence  was  broken  by  the  approach  of 
hurried  steps,  and  a  loud  voice  was  heard  near  at  hand, 
shouting: 

"  Is  there  anybody  in  the  house?  " 

Then  every  thing  was  still  again.  The  new-comer  was  evi- 
dently waiting  for  a  reply.  After  a  pause,  the  steps  drew 
nearer — now  they  were  already  in  the  hall;  and  now  the  tall, 
slender  form  of  a  Prussian  officer,  with  a  bandaged  head  and 
arm,  appeared  on  the  threshold  of  the  room.  When  he  be- 
held the  immovable  body  on  the  floor,  his  pale  face  expressed 
surprise  and  compassion. 

"An  officer  of  the  queen's  dragoons!"  he  ejaculated,  and 
in  the  next  moment  he  was  by  his  side.  He  knelt  down,  and 
placed  his  hand  inquiringly  on  the  heart  and  forehead  of  the 
prostrate  officer. 

"  He  is  warm  still,"  he  murmured,  "  and  it  seems  to  me  his 
heart  is  yet  beating.  Perhaps,  perhaps  he  only  fainted  from 
loss  of  blood,  just  as  I  did  before  my  wounds  had  been  dressed. 
Let  us  see." 

He  hastily  drew  a  flask  from  his  bosom,  and  pouring  some 
of  its  contents  into  his  hand,  he  washed  with  it  the  forehead 
and  temples  of  his  poor  comrade. 

A  slight  shudder  now  pervaded  his  whole  frame,  and  he 
looked  with  a  half-unconscious,  dreamy  glance  into  the  face 
of  the  stranger,  who  had  bent  over  him  with  an  air  of  heart- 
felt sympathy. 

"  Where  am  I  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  low,  tremulous  voice. 

"  With  a  comrade,"  said  the  other,  kindly.  "  With  a  com- 
panion in  misfortune  who  is  wounded,  and  a  fugitive  like  you. 
I  am  an  officer  of  the  Hohenlohe  regiment,  and  fought  at 
Jena.  Since  last  night  I  have  been  wandering  about,  con- 
stantly exposed  to  the  danger  of  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  My  name  is  Piickler — it  is  a  good  Prussian 
name.  You  see,  therefore,  it  is  a  friend  who  is  assisting  his 
poor  comrade,  and  you  need  not  fear  any  thing.  Now,  tell  me 
what  I  can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"Water,  water!"  groaned  the  wounded  officer,  "water!" 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  7 

"  You  had  better  take  some  of  my  wine  here, "  said  the 
other;  "  it  will  quench  your  thirst,  and  invigorate  you  at  the 
same  time." 

He  held  the  flask  to  the  lips  of  his  comrade,  and  made  him 
sip  a  little  of  his  wine. 

"  Now  it  is  enough, "  he  said,  withdrawing  the  flask  from 
his  lips.  "  Since  you  have  quenched  your  thirst,  comrade, 
would  you  not  like  to  eat  a  piece  of  bread  and  some  meat  ? 
Ah,  you  smile;  you  are  surprised  because  I  guess  your  wishes 
and  know  your  sufferings.  You  need  not  wonder  at  it,  how- 
ever, comrade,  for  I  have  undergone  just  the  same  torture  as 
you.  Above  all,  you  must  eat  something." 

While  speaking,  he  had  produced  from  his  knapsack  a  loaf 
of  bread  and  a  piece  of  roast  chicken,  and  cutting  a  few  slices 
from  both,  placed  them  tenderly  in  the  mouth  of  the  sufferer, 
looking  on  with  smiling  joy  while  the  other  moved  his  jaws, 
slowly  at  first,  but  soon  more  rapidly  and  eagerly. 

"  Now  another  draught  of  wine,  comrade,"  he  said,  "  and 
then,  I  may  dare  to  give  you  some  more  food.  Hush!  do  not 
say  a  word — it  is  a  sacred  work  you  are  doing  now,  a  work  by 
which  you  are  just  about  to  save  a  human  life.  You  must 
not,  therefore,  interrupt  it  by  any  superfluous  protestations 
of  gratitude.  Moreover,  your  words  are  written  in  your  eyes, 
and  you  cannot  tell  me  any  thing  better  and  more  beautiful 
than  what  I  am  reading  therein.  Drink!  So!  And  here  is 
a  piece  of  bread  and  a  wing  of  the  chicken.  While  you  are 
eating,  I  will  look  around  in  the  yard  and  garden  to  find  there 
some  water  to  wash  your  wounds." 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  he  hastily  left  the  officer  alone 
with  the  piece  of  bread,  the  wing  of  the  chicken,  and  the 
flask.  When  he  returned,  about  fifteen  minutes  later,  with  a 
jar  filled  with  water,  the  bread  and  meat  had  disappeared; 
but  instead  of  the  pale,  immovable,  and  cadaverous  being,  he 
found  seated  on  the  floor  a  young  man  with  flashing  eyes,  a 
faint  blush  on  his  cheeks,  and  a  gentle  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  You  have  saved  me, "  he  said,  extending  his  hand  toward 
his  returning  comrade.  "  I  should  have  died  of  hunger  and 
exhaustion,  if  you  had  not  relieved  me  so  mercifully." 

"  Comrade,"  said  the  officer,  smiling,  "  you  have  just  re- 
peated the  same  words  which  I  addressed  two  hours  ago  to 
another  comrade  whom  I  met  on  the  retreat;  or,  to  speak 
more  correctly,  who  found  me  lying  in  the  ditch.  The  lucky 
fellow  had  got  a  horse;  he  offered  me  a  seat  behind  him. 
But  I  saw  that  the  animal  was  too  weak  to  carry  both  of  us; 


8  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

hence  I  did  not  accept  his  offer,  but  I  took  the  refreshments 
which  he  gave  to  me,  and  with  which  he  not  only  saved  my 
life,  but  yours  too.  You  are,  therefore,  under  no  obliga- 
tions to  me,  but  to  him  alone." 

"You  are  as  kind  as  you  are  generous,"  said  the  other, 
gently,  involuntarily  raising  his  hand  toward  his  forehead. 

"  And  I  see  that  you  are  in  pain,"  exclaimed  the  officer, 
"  and  that  the  wound  in  your  head  is  burning.  Mine  has 
been  dressed  already,  and  my  shattered  arm  bandaged — for  I 
received  both  wounds  yesterday  in  the  early  part  of  the 
battle,  and  the  surgeon  attended  to  them  while  the  bullets 
were  hissing  around  us." 

"  I  was  wounded  only  when  every  thing  was  lost, "  sighed 
the  other.  "  A  member  of  the  accursed  imperial  guard 
struck  me  down." 

"  I  hope  you  gave  him  a  receipt  in  full  for  your  wounds  ?" 
asked  the  officer,  while  tenderly  washing  the  wound  with  the 
water  he  had  brought  along  in  the  broken  jar. 

The  other  officer  looked  up  to  him  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  I  gave  him  a  receipt  which  he  has  already  shown  to  God 
Himself,"  he  said,  "  provided  there  is  a  God  for  these  ac- 
cursed French.  My  sword  cleft  his  skull,  but  I  fell  together 
with  him. " 

"  Your  wound  here  in  the  forehead  is  of  no  consequence," 
said  the  officer ;  "  the  stroke  only  cut  the  skin.  Let  us  put 
this  moistened  handkerchief  on  it. " 

"Oh,  now  I  am  better,  "said  the  other;  "now  that  the 
wound  burns  less  painfully,  J  feel  that  life  is  circulating 
again  through  all  my  veins. " 

"And  what  about  your  arm?" 

"  A  lancer  pierced  it.  I  hope  he  was  kind  enough  not  to 
touch  the  bone,  so  that  the  arm  need  not  be  amputated. 
It  is  true,  it  pains  severely;  but,  you  see,  I  can  move  it  a 
little,  which  proves  that  it  is  not  shattered.  Now,  comrade, 
do  me  still  another  favor — assist  me  in  rising.  " 

"  Here,  lean  firmly  on  me.  There !  I  will  lift  you  up — now 
you  are  on  your  legs  again.  Lean  on  me  still,  for  you  might 
become  dizzy." 

"  No,  I  shall  not.  I  feel  again  well  and  strong  enough  to  take 
the  burden  of  life  on  my  shoulders.  Thank  God !  I  am  able 
to  stand  again.  For,  however  crushed  and  trampled  under 
foot  we  may  be,  we  will  submit  to  our  fate  manfully,  and 
stand  erect.  The  conqueror  and  tyrant  shall  not  succeed  in 
bending  our  heads,  although  he  has  broken  our  hearts.  Ah, 


FERDINAND   VON  SCHILL.  9 

comrade,  that  was  a  terrible  day  when  all  Prussia  sank  in 
ruins  1" 

"  You  were  in  the  thickest  of  the  fray?  The  regiment  of 
the  queen's  dragoons  fought  at  Auerstadt,  I  believe  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  fought  at  Auerstadt,  or  rather  it  did  the  same  as 
all  the  other  regiments — it  deserted.  Only  a  few  squadrons 
complied  with  the  urgent  exhortations  of  the  king,  who  led  us 
against  the  squares  of  the  enemy  near  Hassenhausen.  His 
own  horse  was  shot;  we  officers  stood  our  ground,  but  the 
dragoons  ran  away.*  Ah,  I  wept  with  rage,  and  if  my  tears 
could  have  been  transformed  into  bullets,  they  would  not 
have  been  directed  against  the  enemy,  but  against  our  own 
cowardly  dragoons.  The  battle  would  have  been  won  if  our 
soldiers  had  not  disgracefully  taken  to  their  heels.  All 
shouts,  orders,  supplications,  were  in  vain;  the  soldiers  were 
running,  although  no  enemy  pursued  them;  the  panic  had 
rendered  them  perfectly  crazy. " 

"And  do  you  really  believe,  comrade,  that  we  owe  the  loss 
of  the  battle  exclusively  to  the  cowardice  of  the  soldiers?" 
asked  the  officer.  "  Did  our  generals  do  their  duty?  Ah, 
you  look  gloomy,  and  do  not  reply.  Then  you  agree  with 
me?  Let  us,  however,  speak  of  all  these  things  afterward, 
but  first  of  ourselves.  " 

"Yes,  first  of  ourselves!"  exclaimed  the  other,  starting 
from  his  gloomy  reflections.  "  Count  Piickler,  you  were  kind 
enough  to  tell  me  your  name,  when  you  relieved  an  unknown 
sufferer  in  so  humane  a  manner,  and  thereby  saved  his  life. 
Now  permit  me  to  tell  you  my  name,  too,  so  that  you  may 
know  at  least  who  will  always  revere  your  memory  with  af- 
fection and  gratitude.  I  am  Second- Lieutenant  Ferdinand 
von  Schill.  You  see,  it  is  a  very  humble  name;  still  I  hud 
solemnly  vowed  that  it  should  not  be  unknown  in  the  battles 
that  were  to  be  fought.  " 

"And  I  see  it  written  on  your  brow,  comrade,  that  you  will 
at  some  future  time  make  up  for  what  fate  has  now  pre- 
vented you  from  accomplishing, "  said  Count  Piickler,  kindly 
offering  his  hand  to  Lieutenant  von  Schill.  "  Yet  now  let 
us  not  think  of  the  future,  but  of  the  present.  We  are  dis- 
abled, and  will  be  helpless  as  soon  as  the  wound-fever  sets  in ; 
and  we  may  be  sure  that  that  will  be  to-night.  We  must, 
therefore,  find  a  place  of  refuge;  for,  if  we  remain  here,  with- 
out assistance,  and  without  food,  we  shall  surely  be  lost.  " 

"You  are  right;  we  must  leave  this  house,  "said  Schill; 

*  Historical. 


10  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

tf  we  must  try  to  reach  a  city  or  village.  Come,  let  us  go. 
You  are  armed,  and  I  have  got  a  sabre,  too.  Let  us  go,  but 
previously  let  us  swear  that  we  will  not  surrender  to  the 
French,  but  rather  die,  even  should  it  be  necessary  to  com- 
mit suicide!  You  have  a  knife,  and  when  you  cut  some 
bread  for  me,  I  saw  that  it  was  very  sharp.  Will  you  give  it 
to  me?" 

"  What  for?" 

"  I  want  to  stab  myself,  as  soon  as  I  see  that  I  cannot 
escape  from  the  enemy !" 

"  And  I  ?     What  is  to  become  of  me?" 

"  Before  killing  myself,  I  will  stab  you  with  my  sabre. 
Will  that  content  you?" 

"It  will.  Be  careful,  however,  to  hit  my  heart;  do  not 
merely  wound,  but  kill  me. " 

"Ah,  I  see  that  we  understand  each  other,  and  that  the 
same  heart  is  pulsating  in  our  breast!"  exclaimed  Schill,  joy- 
fully. "  Let  us  die,  rather  than  be  captured  by  the  enemy 
and  depend  on  the  mercy  of  the  Corsican  tyrant!  Now, 
comrade,  let  us  go!  For  you  are  right;  the  wound-fever  will 
set  in  toward  evening,  and  without  assistance  we  shall  be 
lost. " 

"  Come, "  said  Piickler,  "  place  your  uninjured  arm  in  mine. 
It  seems  fate  has  destined  us  for  each  other,  for  it  has  ruined 
your  right  arm  and  my  left  arm;  thus  we  can  walk  at  least 
side  by  side,  mutually  supporting  ourselves.  I  shall  be  your 
right  hand,  and  you  will  lend  me  your  left  arm  when  I  have 
to  embrace  anybody.  But,  it  is  true,  no  one  will  now  care  for 
our  embrace;  every  one  will  mock  and  deride  us,  and  try  to 
read  in  the  bloody  handwriting  on  our  foreheads :  ( He  is  also 
one  of  the  vanquished  Prussians!'" 

"  Comrade,  did  you  not  tell  me  a  little  while  ago,  that  it 
would  be  better  for  us  to  attend  to  our  own  affairs,  before 
talking  about  other  matters?" 

"It  is  true;  let  us  go!" 

And,  leaning  on  each  other,  the  two  officers  left  the  house. 


THE  GERMAN  SONG.  11 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE     GERMAN     SONG. 

% 

IT  was  a  sunny  morning  in  autumn;  the  two  wounded 
officers  were  inhaling  the  bracing  air  in  long  draughts,  and 
their  eyes  were  wandering  over  the  transparent  sky  and  the 
picturesque  landscape. 

"  And  to  think  that  my  eyes  would  never  more  have  seen 
all  this,  if  you  had  not  hud  mercy  on  me !"  said  Schill,  with 
a  grateful  glance  at  his  companion. 

"Ah,  my  friend/'  sighed  Piickler,  mournfully,  "  we  shall 
not  always  behold  the  sky  and  this  beautiful,  silent  scene, 
but  it  may  easily  happen  that  we  shall  see  much  misery  to- 
day, and  that  you  will  curse  your  eyes  for  being  compelled 
to  perceive  it !  Still  you  are  right — it  is  better  to  live,  even  in 
anguish  and  distress,  than  to  die  in  anguish  and  distress;  for 
he  who  lives  has  still  a  future  before  him,  and  is  able  to  strive 
in  it  for  revenge  and  compensation  for  the  past.  Let  us  de- 
scry our  immediate  future  from  the  hill  yonder,  and  there  de- 
cide on  the  direction  we  shall  take." 

They  walked  toward  the  neighboring  hill.  Frequently  they 
had  to  stop  on  the  way ;  frequently  they  sank  down  exhausted ; 
but  their  will  and  youthful  energy  overcame  their  weakness, 
and  finally  they  reached  their  destination :  they  stood  on  the 
summit,  and  were  able  to  survey  the  whole  country  for  miles 
around. 

"  Yonder,  where  that  dreadful  smoke  is  rising,  is  the 
battle-field  of  Auerstadt!"  said  Schill,  after  a  long  pause, 
during  which  they  had  taken  breath. 

"  Yes,  and  beyond  those  hills  is  Jena,"  said  Piickler,  sadly. 
"  Those  are  two  melancholy  names  for  a  Prussian  ear,  and, 
like  Ulysses,  I  should  like  to  close  mine  so  as  not  to  hear  that 
siren  voice  of  death  any  more;  for,  I  tell  you,  whenever  I  hear 
those  two  names,  I  am  driven  to  despair,  and  would  like  to 
throw  myself  into  that  abyss!" 

"  My  friend,  it  seems  to  me  we  are  already  in  the  abyss, 
and  our  first  and  most  earnest  endeavors  should  be  directed 
toward  saving  us  from  it,"  said  Schill,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders. "  Our  first  step  should  be  to  get  safely  through  the 
enemy's  lines,  in  order  to  escape  from  the  dangers  to  which  a 


12  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

collision  with,  the  French  would  expose  us.  Whither  shall  we 
turn  now?  Have  you  formed  already  a  definite  plan,  count?" 

"  Being  disabled  from  active  service  by  my  wounds,  I  shall 
repair  to  my  estates  in  Silesia,  and  remain  there  till  I  have 
recovered.  And  you,  comrade — will  you  permit  me  to  make 
you  an  offer  ?  If  you  have  not  yet  come  to  a  different  decision, 
you  fSught  to  accompany  me,  and  stay  at  my  house  till  your 
wounds  are  healed.  I  have  splendid  woods,  and  facilities  for 
angling  on  my  estates;  and  if  you  like  hunting  and  fishing, 
I  am  sure  a  sojourn  at  my  house  will  afford  you  plenty  of 
amusement. " 

"But  you  forget  that  my  right  arm  is  wounded,  count," 
said  Schill,  with  a  melancholy  smile;  "hence,  I  shall  be  but 
a  poor  companion  for  you,  and  ought  not  to  accept  your 
kind  offer.  I  confess,  moreover,  that  my  mind  is  too  restless, 
and  my  heart  too  deeply  grieved,  to  enjoy  the  peace  and  quiet 
of  country  life.  I  must  remain  in  the  noise  and  turmoil  of 
the  world,  and  see  what  will  become  of  poor  Prussia.  I  in- 
tend going  to  Kolberg;  the  fortress  is  strong  and  impregna- 
ble ;  it  will  be  an  insurmountable  bulwark  against  the  enemy, 
and  I  have  several  intimate  friends  at  the  fortress.  I  will 
stay  with  them  till  I  am  well  again. " 

"  Our  paths,  then,  will  soon  be  different.  You  will  go  to 
the  north;  I,  to  the  east.  But,  for  a  few  days,  we  shall  still 
remain  together,  for  the  wound-fever  will  compel  us  to  ad- 
vance very  slowly.  Let  us  look  out  now  for  a  dinner,  and  for 
a  place  where  we  may  safely  sleep  to-night  " 

"  And,  it  seems  to  me,  I  see  a  prospect  of  obtaining  both. 
Yonder/'  said  Schill,  pointing  with  his  left  hand  to  a  small 
point  on  the  horizon.  "  Do  you  perceive  that  steeple?  There 
is  a  village,  and  consequently  there  are  men;  and,  as  it  is  sit- 
uated northeast,  it  is  in  the  right  direction  for  both  of  us. " 

"  You  are  right;  we  will  direct  our  steps  thither,"  exclaimed 
Count  Piickler.  "  May  Fate  be  propitious  to  us,  and  keep 
the  French  out  of  our  path!" 

They  Walked  down  the  hill  on  the  opposite  side,  and  then 
commenced  crossing,  arm  in  arm,  the  stubble-field  that  lay 
stretched  out  before  them.  All  around  them  nothing  what- 
ever was  stirring — not  a  sound,  not  even  the  chirping  of  a 
bird,  or  the  humming  of  a  beetle,  interrupted  the  profound 
silence;  neither  a  house,  nor  any  trace  of  human  life,  was  to 
be  seen  anywhere. 

"It  is  as  still  here  as  the  grave,"  whispered  Count  Piickler. 

"  Death  probably  has  already  stalked  across  this  field  on  its 


THE  GERMAN  SONG.  13 

way  to  Jena  and  Auerstadt, "  said  Schill,  "  and  for  this  reason 
all  Nature  seems  to  hold  its  breath  lest  it  should  return.  " 

"  But  it  will  not  return  very  soon,  for  I  should  think  Death 
itself  must  be  exhausted  by  the  terrible  work  it  had  to  per- 
form on  the  battle-field.  Comrade,  now  that  we  know  our 
destination,  and  have  arranged  our  affairs,  we  may  converse 
a  little  about  the  dreadful  events  which  occurred  yester- 
day. You  were  at  Auerstadt.  Do  you  know  that  at  Jena  wo 
had  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  battle  that  was  going  on 
at  Auerstadt,  and  were  informed  of  it  only  in  the  evening, 
after  we  had  been  completely  routed?  "We  did  not  hear  the 
reports  of  your  guns !" 

"  So  it  was  with  us,  too.  At  Auerstadt  we  did  not  know 
that  a  battle  was  being  fought  at  Jena;  the  roar  of  our  own 
artillery  prevented  us  from  hearing  yours.  Only  when  the 
king  had  sent  off  several  orderlies  to  order  the  Prince  of 
Hohenlohe  and  General  Riichel  to  cover  our  retreat,  we 
learned,  from  the  chasseur  who  returned  first,  that  a  battle 
had  been  fought  also  at  Jena,  and  that  Hohenlohe  and  Riichel 
were  unable  to  afford  us  any  assistance.  I  cannot  describe  to 
you  the  dismay  produced  by  this  intelligence.  Every  one 
thought  only  of  saving  himself;  there  was  no  longer  any 
obedience,  sense  of  honor,  or  bravery.  The  generals  were  too 
confused  to  issue  orders,  and  the  soldiers  too  frightened  to 
listen  to  their  officers.  " 

"  And  the  king  ?" 

"  The  king  was  evidently  determined  to  die.  His  face  was 
livid,  his  lips  were  quivering;  wherever  the  bullets  rained  down 
most  murderously,  thither  he  spurred  his  horse.  He  had  two 
horses  killed,  but  remained  uninjured.  It  seems  Fate  was 
too  unmerciful  toward  him :  it  had  decreed  that  the  King  of 
Prussia  should  not  die,  but  learn  in  the  stern  school  of  suf- 
fering and  experience  what  Prussia  needs. " 

"And  the  Duke  of  Brunswick — the  commander- in-chief  ?" 

"  Ah,  you  do  not  yet  know  the  terrible  fate  that  befell  him? 
A  bullet  passed  through  his  head;  it  entered  on  the  right  side, 
and  came  out  on  the  left.  This  happened  in  the  early  part 
of  the  battle ;  the  duke  was  brought  back  to  Auerstadt  in  a 
fainting  condition ;  his  wound  was  dressed  there,  and  then 
he  was  carried  by  some  soldiers  to  Blankenburg.  " 

"  The  duke  is  not  yet  dead,  then,  notwithstanding  this  ter- 
rible wound  ?" 

"  No, "  said  Schill,  solemnly,  "  God  would  not  let  him  die 
without  reaping  the  fruit  of  what  he  had  sown.  For  his 


14  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

mental  blindness  God  punished  him  with  physical  blindness. 
The  ball  destroyed  both  his  eyes. " 

"  Dreadful  V  muttered  Count  Piickler. 
"  "  You  pity  him?"  asked  Schill,  harshly.  "  You  had  better 
pity  the  thousands  who  are  lying  on  the  bloody  battle-fields 
of  Jena  and  Auerstadt,  and  accusing  the  duke  of  having 
murdered  them !  You  had  better  pity  Prussia's  misfortunes 
and  disgrace,  which  have  been  brought  about  by  the  duke! 
For,  I  tell  you,  the  indecision,  vacillation,  and  timidity  of  the 
duke  were  the  sole  causes  of  our  terrible  disaster.  All  of  us 
felt  and  knew  it.  None  of  the  younger  officers  and  generals 
had  any  doubt  about  it;  every  one  knew  that  those  old  gen- 
tlemen, who  had  outlived  their  own  glory,  and  still  believed 
that  they  lived  in  the  days  of  Frederick  the  Great,  were  un- 
equal to  the  occasion,  to  the  present  time,  and  to  the  present 
war.  Because  we  were  aware  of  this,  we  made  the  utmost 
efforts  to  bring  about  a  change  of  commanders.  We  elected 
a  deputation  of  officers,  and  sent  them  to  General  Kalkreuth, 
for  the  purpose  of  laying  our  complaints  and  prayers  before 
him,  and  of  imploring  him  to  induce  the  king  to  deprive  the 
duke  of  his  command,  and  to  intrust  it  to  younger  and  more 
resolute  hands.  The  deputation  consisted  of  none  but  skil- 
ful, prominent,  and  highly-esteemed  officers,  who  boldly  de- 
clared it  to  be  their  firm  conviction  that  the  king  was  in 
danger  of  losing  his  crown  and  his  states,  if  the  Duke  of 
Brunswick  should  remain  at  the  head  of  the  army."  * 
"  And  what  did  General  Kalkreuth  reply  to  them?" 
"  The  general  asked,  in  a  harsh  tone,  for  a  further  explana- 
tion of  their  words,  and  the  officers  gave  it  to  him.  They 
censured  the  duke's  idea  of  establishing  a  camp  at  Weimar, 
and  dwelt  contemptuously  on  the  reasons  that  might  have 
induced  him  to  do  so.  They  proved,  by  referring  to  the 
whole  proceedings  of  the  duke,  that  he  knew  neither  what 
he  was  doing  nor  what  he  wanted  to  do;  neither  where  he 
was,  nor  whither  he  was  going;  and  they  added  that,  in  con- 
sequence of  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs,  the  whole  army 
was  filled  with  the  most  startling  and  discouraging  rumors.f 
But  their  prayers,  their  remonstrances,  their  angry  denunci- 
ations, and  predictions,  were  unavailing.  General  Kalkreuth 
could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  represent  the  dangers  of  the 
situation  to  the  king,  although  he  himself  was  just  as  well 
satisfied  of  its  critical  character  as  all  the  younger  officers  of 

*  Vide  Frederick  von  Gentz's  writings,  edited  by  G.  Schlesier,  vol.  ii.,  p.  314. 
t  Ibid.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  315. 


THE  GERMAN  SONG.  15 

the  army.  And  thus  we  were  defeated,  disastrously  defeated 
and  routed,  in  spite  of  all  warnings  of  our  consciousness  of 
the  danger,  and  of  all  predictions.  This  time  it  was  not  the 
inexperience  and  impetuosity  of  youth,  but  the  antiquated 
method  and  slowness  of  age,  that  brought  about  our  ruin." 

"  Yes,  you  are  right, "  sighed  Count  P tickler;  "  our  old  gen- 
erals are  the  cause  of  our  misfortunes." 

"Do  you  know,  for  instance,"  asked  Schill,  indignantly, 
"  why  we  lost  the  important  defile  of  Kosen?  In  consequence 
of  the  night-sweat  of  General  von  Schmettau !" 

"  Ah,  you  can  jest  even  now !"  said  Puckler,  sadly. 

"I  do  not  jest,  by  any  means;  on  the  contrary,  I  am  in 
dead  earnest!  The  Duke  of  Brunswick  had  ordered  the  gen- 
eral, on  the  day  before  the  battle,  to  start  early  next  morning 
with  his  division,  and  occupy  the  defile  of  Kosen.  His  ad- 
jutant. Lieutenant  von  Pfuel,  went  repeatedly  to  his  head- 
quarters to  remind  him  of  the  urgent  necessity  of  setting  out, 
and  to  implore  him  to  rise  from  his  bed.  '  But,  sir,'  replied 
the  old  general,  'let  me  wait  at  least  until  my  night- sweat  is 
gone;  I  understand  it  is  a  very  chilly  morning'/*  The  old 

general  did  not  rise  until  nine  o'clock,  and  started  at  ten  with 
is  division  toward  Kosen.  When  he  reached  the  defile  he 
found  that  Marshal  Davoust  had  caused  it  to  be  occupied  by 
a  regiment  of  infantry  scarcely  an  hour  before.  That  night- 
sweat  of  the  old  general  has  become  the  death-sweat  of  many 
brave  Prussians,  and  the  gray  hairs  of  the  old  chieftain  will 
now  cause  the  hair  of  our  youth  to  turn  gray  with  shame  and 
grief." 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  terrible  disgrace  for  us,  and  I  hardly  know  how 
we  are  to  bear  it  in  a  manly  and  dignified  manner, "  said 
Count  Piickler,  gloomily.  "  In  these  hours  of  melancholy  only 
we  feel  the  full  extent  of  our  ardent  love  for  our  country;  now 
only  we  perceive  the  indissoluble  ties  that  attach  our  hearts 
to  it!  I  should  like  to  pour  out  my  blood  in  tears  for  this 
crushed,  disgraced,  and  yet  so  dearly-beloved  country,  and  I 
feel  that  if  we  do  not  rise  speedily  from  our  degradation,  I 
shall  die  of  despair!" 

"  You  will  not  die,"  said  Schill,  gravely,  "  for  all  of  us  who 
love  Prussia,  and  are  devoted  to  her  honor,  must  not  think  of 
dying  at  the  present  time;  all  of  us  must  assist  Prussia  in  ris- 
ing again  from  the  dust,  so  that  she  may  once  more  boldly  meet 
the  tyrant,  and  take  revenge  for  herself  and  for  Germany! 
For  Prussia  is  Germany  now,  because  she  is  the  only  power 

*  Vide  FOreter's  "  Modern  History  of  Prussia,"  vol.  i.,  p.  757. 


16  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

in  Germany  that  has  resisted  and  braved  the  Corsican  con- 
queror. But  God  wanted  first  to  arouse  her  from  her  arro- 
gance and  vanity,  and  make  the  weakness  of  her  leading 
men  known  to  her,  that  she  might  rise  after  a  noble  regenera- 
tion and  with  redoubled  strength.  Life  springs  from  death, 
and  Prussia  had  to  fall  so  low  as  to  break  her  old  decrepit 
limbs  that  were  still  kept  together  by  her  glory  from  the 
Seven  Years'  War;  and  then  the  young,  vigorous  soldier  of 
the  new  century  will  arise  and  draw  the  sword  to  deliver  his 
subjugated  country,  and  avenge  its  desecrated  honor!" 

"  Then  you  hope  still  for  a  change  for  the  better  ?"  asked 
Count  Piickler,  mournfully. 

"  I  base  my  hopes  on  the  propitious  star  of  Prussia,"  ex- 
claimed Schill,  enthusiastically,  "  on  the  future,  on  the  wrath 
and  grief  which  will  awake  now  in  all  Prussian  hearts,  arousing 
the  sluggards,  strengthening  the  vacillating,  and  urging  the 
timid.  I  base  my  hopes  on  the  tears  of  Queen  Louisa,  which 
will  move  Heaven  to  help  us  and  awaken  avengers  on  earth. 
And,  for  ourselves,  comrade,  with  our  wounds,  with  our  dis- 
grace, we  must  be  like  the  spirits  cf  vengeance  that  sweep 
across  the  heath  in  the  howling  storm  of  diversity,  and 
awaken  the  sleeper  who  would  give  way  to  dreams  of  peace 
and  inaction.  Prussia  must  not  make  peace  in  her  present 
calamitous  condition ;  she  must  fill  the  hearts  and  minds  of 
all  with  longings  for  war,  till  the  whole  nation  arises  in  its 
rage  and  expels  the  enemy  from  the  country!  My  friend,  we 
have  now  witnessed  the  downfall  of  Prussia,  but  henceforth 
we  must  exert  ourselves  in  order  to  witness  also  her  regen- 
eration. We  ourselves  must  be  the — " 

"Hush!"  said  Piickler,  hastily.  "Just  look  there,  and 
then  take  your  sabre." 

They  were  now  near  a  field-path  leading  to  a  small  wood 
which  a  slender  youth  had  just  left,  and  was  hastily  approach- 
ing them.  As  yet,  however,  he  was  so  far  from  them  that  they 
were  unable  to  distinguish  his  features  or  his  dress,  and  to  dis- 
cern whether  he  was  an  armed  soldier  or  a  peaceable  wanderer. 

"It  is,  doubtless,  a  French  soldier,  and  his  comrades  are 
lying  in  ambush,"  murmured  Piickler,  placing  his  hand  on 
his  sword. 

"  If  he  wants  to  attack  us,  he  had  better  say  his  death- 
prayers,"  said  Schill,  calmly.  "  There  are  two  of  us,  and  each 
has  one  uninjured  arm." 

The  youth  had  meanwhile  drawn  nearer,  and  they  saw  that 
he  did  not  wear  any  uniform. 


THE  GERMAN  SONG.  17 

"  He  is  very  young, "  said  P tickler,  "  and  a  civilian.  He  has 
apparently  not  yet  seen  us.  That  bush  yonder  is  concealing 
us  from  his  eyes.  Let  us  stoop  a  little,  and,  as  the  path  lies 
beyond,  he  may  pass  by  without  noticing  us. " 

They  knelt  down  behind  the  bush,  but,  while  doing  so,  took 
their  swords,  and  prepared  for  an  attack.  Then  they  held 
their  breath  and  listened. 

Profound  silence  reigned  around,  and  nothing  was  to  be 
heard  but  the  quick  steps  of  the  wanderer,  who  drew  nearer 
and  nearer.  Suddenly  this  silence  was  interrupted  by  a  fresh 
and  youthful  voice,  singing  the  air  of  a  popular  song. 

"Ah,  he  sings,"  murmured  Schill.  "He  who  can  sing  to- 
day, must  be  very  harmless,  and  it  is  not  worth  while  to  kill 
him. " 

"  Hush !  hush !  let  us  listen  to  his  song.  He  is  now  sing- 
ing words  to  the  melody.  Just  listen! " 

The  voice  resounded  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  two  listeners, 
and  they  could  understand  the  words  he  was  singing ; 

O  Hermann!  for  thy  country's  fall 

No  tears  !  Where  vanquished  valor  bled 

The  victor  rules,  and  Slavery's  pall 
Upon  these  hills  and  vales  is  spread. 

Shame  burns  within  me,  for  the  brave 

Lie  mouldering  in  the  freeman's  grave. 

No  voice !  where  sturdy  Luther  spoke 

Fearless  for  men  who  dared  be  free! 
O  would  that  Heaven's  thunder  woke 

My  people  for  their  liberty ! 
Must  heroes  fight  and  die  in  vain? — 
Ye  cowards !  grasp  your  swords  again! 

Revenge !  revenge !  a  gory  shroud 

To  tyrants,  and  the  slaves  that  yield' 
Eternal  honor  calls  aloud 

For  courage  in  the  battle-fleld. 
Who  loves  or  fears  a  conquered  land 
That  bows  beneath  the  despot's  hand  1 

And  whither  flee  f    Where  Winkelrled 
And  Tell  and  Ruyter  bravely  broke 

Oppression's  power— their  country  f reed- 
All— all  beneath  the  usurper's  yokel 

From  Alpine  fountains  to  the  sea 

The  patriot  dead  alone  are  free. 

My  people !  in  this  sorrowing  night, 

The  clanking  of  your  chains  may  he 
The  sign  of  vengeance,  and  the  fight 

Or  former  times  the  world  may  see. 
When  Hermann  in  that  storied  day 
As  a  wild  torrent  cleft  his  way. 

No  idle  song,  O  youth :  thy  boast. 

In  self -born  virtue  be  as  one 
Who  is  himself  a  mighty  host 

By  whose  sole  arm  is  victory  won. 
No  blazoned  monument  so  grand 
As  death  for  the  dear  Fatherland. 


18  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

To  die !  how  welcome  to  the  brave  1 

The  tomb  awakes  no  coward  fear 
Save  to  the  wretched,  trembling  slave 

Who  for  his  country  sheds  no  tear. 
To  crown  me  with  a  fadeless  wreath 
Be  thine,  O  happy,  sacred  death  I 

Come,  shining  sword !  avenge  my  dead  1 

Alone  canst  thou  remove  this  shame* 
Proud  ornament !  with  slaughter  red 

Restore  my  native  land  its  fame. 
By  night,  by  day,  in  sun  or  shade, 
Be  girt  around  me,  trusty  blade. 

The  trumpet  on  the  morning  gale  1 

Arm!  forward  to  the  bloody  strife! 
From  loftiest  mountain  to  the  vale 

Asks  dying  Freedom  for  her  life. 
Our  standard  raise,  to  glory  given, 
And  higher  still  our  hearts  to  Heaven.* 

*  This  is  one  of  Arndt's  soul-stirring,  patriotic  hymns,  published  in  1806.  It  is 
difficult  to  render  into  readable  English  this  species  of  German  heroic  verse  so  as  to 
preserve  its  rhythm.  All  the  thought  of  the  original  is  however  expressed  in  the 
translation.  The  only  change  of  any  importance  is  the  transposition  of  the  seventh 
stanza. 

Keine  Thrane,  Hermann,  f  iir  dein  Volk  ? 

Keine  Thrane,  und  die  Schande  brennet, 

Und  der  Feind  gebietet,  wo  die  Freien 

Siegten  und  flelen  ? 

Keine  Stimme  laut,  wo  Luther  sprach  ? 
Alle  Donner,  die  der  Himmel  sendet, 
Sollten  rufen :  Volkerwache!  feiges; 
Greife  zum  Schwerte. 

Rache !  Rache !  heissen,  blufgen  Tod 
Sldavenfursten  und  dem  Knecht  der  fliehetl 
Mannerwort  gef  iirchtet  und  gepriesen, 
Mannliche  Tugend  1 

Ach  wohin  ?  wo  Winkelried  erlag, 
Wilhelm  schlug,  und  Ruyter  taprer  siegte ; 
Auf  den  hochsten  Alpen,  in  den  tiefsten 
Sumpfeu  ist  Knechtschaft. 

Auch  du,  Hermann's,  auch  du,  kuhnes  Volk  ? 
Auf  !  Erwache  !  Schuttle  deine  Ketten, 
Dass  die  Schmach  die  Welt  vernehme,  bald  auoh 
Blutige  Rache  1 

Lieder  helfen  hier  and  Maler  nicht. 
Miiler  ?    Tief  im  Herzen  sei  das  Denkmal, 
An  dem  Thurm  der  selbstgebornen  Tugend 
Hebe  dich,  Jungling ! 

Und  voran  geworfen  ktthn  die  Brust, 
Und  empor  das  Auge  zu  dem  Himmel, 
Hoch  die  Fahne  !    Hoch  zum  Himmel  !    HSher 
Flammende  Herzen. 

Tod,  du  siisser.fur  das  Vaterland, 
Siisser  als  der  Brautgruss,  als  das  Lallen 
Auf  dem  Mutterschooss  des  ersten  Kindes, 
Sei  mir  willkommen  I 

Was  das  Lied  nicht  loset,  18st  das  Schwert, 
Blinkend  Heil,  umgurte  meine  Httften  1 
Vor  der  Schande  kannst  du  Tapf  re  retten, 
Zierde  der  Tapfem  1 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  19 

Just  when  the  youth  had  sung  the  last  verse  in  a  ringing 
voice,  he  had  reached  the  bush.  And  now  there  arose  above 
it  two  pale  heads,  wrapped  in  white,  blood-stained  handker- 
chiefs, and  sang  in  enthusiastic  tone  the  last  verse  of  the  song 
they  had  heard: 

Was  das  Lied  nicht  liiset,  lost  das  Schwertt 
Bliukeucl  Heil,  umgiirte  meine  HUften  I 
Vor  der  Scbande  kannst  du  Tapf  re  retten, 
Zierde  der  Tapfern  I 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE     OATH     OF     VENGEANCE. 

SPEECHLESS  with  surprise,  the  youth  had  listened  to  the 
eong,  and  fixed  his  large  eyes  steadfastly  on  the  two  officers, 
whose  uniforms  and  wounds  revealed  to  him  the  melancholy 
fate  that  had  befallen  them  during  the  last  few  days. 

When  the  two  were  silent,  he  approached  them  with  an  air 
of  profound  respect. 

"  Bravo,  officers  of  Auerstadt  or  Jena,"  he  said,  with  a  voice 
trembling  with  emotion,  "  permit  a  poor  young  wanderer 
to  present  his  respects  to  you,  and  to  thank  you,  in  the  name 
of  the  German  fatherland,  for  the  wounds  on  your  foreheads. 
Such  wounds  are  also  an  *  ornament  of  the  brave.'"  * 

"  And  such  words  are  an  ornament  of  a  noble  heart,"  ex- 
claimed Schill,  offering  his  hand  to  the  youth. 

He  took  it  with  a  joyful  gesture,  and,  quickly  kneeling 
down,  imprinted  a  glowing  kiss  on  the  feverish  hand  of  the 
wounded  officer. 

"  My  God !"  exclaimed  Schill,  surprised,  "  what  are  you 
doing?  How  can  a  man  kiss  another's  hand  and  kneel  before 
him?  Rise!" 

"  I  am  no  man,"  said  the  youth,  deeply  moved.  "  I  am 
but  a  poor  boy,  who  has  not  yet  done  any  thing  for  his  coun- 
try, and,  perhaps,  never  will  be  able  to  do  any  thing  for  it, 
but  who  feels  the  most  profound  respect  for  those  who  were 
more  fortunate  than  he.  I,  therefore,  kiss  your  hand  as 
Catholics  kiss  the  hands  of  their  saints  and  martyrs.  For 
are  you  not  at  the  present  hour  a  martyr  of  German  liberty? 
Hence,  sir,  give  me  your  hand,  too.  Let  me  press  my  poor 

*  An  allusion  to  the  last  line  of  the  original  song. 


20  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

lips  on  it,  also.  It  is  the  only  way  for  me  to  manifest  my 
profound  respect  for  you." 

"No,"  said  Count  Piickler,  f-elingly,  "you  shall  not  kiss 
my  hand,  but  my  cheeks  and  my  lips.  Let  me  embrace  you, 
young  man,  let  me  embrace  you  for  the  boon  you  have  con- 
ferred on  us  by  your  words.  Come,  sir!" 

The  young  man  uttered  a  joyous  cry,  and,  rising  quickly, 
threw  himself  with  youthful  impetuosity  into  the  count's 
arms. 

"I  will  and  must  have  my  share  in  the  embrace,"  exclaimed 
Schill,  smiling;  "did  not  you  before  expressly  request  me, 
comrade,  to  lend  you  my  left  arm  for  every  embrace?  Well, 
then,  here  it  is." 

He  quickly  wound  his  left  arm  around  the  necks  of  the 
others,  and  pressed  them  firmly  to  his  heart.  When  they 
withdrew  their  arms  again,  tears  were  glistening  in  the  eyes 
of  the  officers  as  well  as  in  those  of  the  youth. 

"  Grief  and  adversity  cause  men  easily  to  fraternize,"  said 
Schill,  "  and  therefore  we  shall  be  brethren  henceforward." 

"You  will  be  my  brethren?"  exclaimed  the  young  man, 
joyfully.  "  You  will  permit  the  poor  boy  to  call  two  heroes 
brethren?" 

"Heroes!"  said  Piickler,  sighing.  "Then  you  do  not 
know,  my  friends,  that  we  were  disgracefully  defeated  and 
trampled  under  foot  in  yesterday's  battle?" 

"I  know  that,  but  know  also  that  the  luck  of  battles  is  not 
the  true  standard  for  the  bravery  of  warriors.  You  at  least 
did  not  run,  and,  like  true  heroes,  you  bear  your  wounds  on 
your  foreheads;  your  mothers,  therefore,  will  proudly  bid  you 
welcome;  your  betrothed  or  your  wives  will  embrace  you  with 
rapturous  tears,  and  your  friends  will  be  proud  of  your  valor." 

"Dees  it  not  seem  almost  as  though  he  had  heard  our 
mournful  and  d  jspondent  words,  and  wished  to  comfort  us?" 
asked  Schill,  turning  to  the  count.  "  His  blue  eyes  appar- 
ently do  not  behold  only  our  physical  wounds,  but  also  those 
which  cause  our  hearts  to  bleed,  and  he  wishes  to  apply  a 
balm  to  them  by  his  sweet,  flattering  words." 

"He  wishes  to  console  the  poor  defeated,  and  reconcile 
them  to  their  fate,"  said  Piickler,  nodding  kindly  to  the  youth. 

"  You  have  a  better  and  more  generous  opinion  of  me  than 
I  deserve,"  he  said,  sadly  bowing  his  head  so  as  to  shake  its 
exuberant  mass  of  long,  fair  hair.  "  I  simply  told  you  what  I 
thought,  and  what  every  one  who  looks  at  both  of  you  will  and 
must  think." 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  21 

"Would  to  God  you  spoke  the  truth,  young  man!"  said 
Count  Piickler,  mournfully.  "Believe  me,  however,  but  few 
will  think  like  yourself;  a  great  many  will  rejoice  at  seeing 
us  defeated  and  humiliated." 

"  Instead  of  bewailing  us,  they  will  deride  us,"  exclaimed 
Schill ;  "  instead  of  weeping  with  us,  they  will  revile  us !" 

"  Who  will  dare  to  do  so?"  exclaimed  the  youth,  in  an  out- 
burst of  generous  anger.  "  Do  you  forget,  then,  that  you  are 
in  Germany,  and  that  you  have  shed  your  blood  for  your 
country?  Your  German  brethren  will  not  deride  you ;  they 
will  not  rejoice  at  your  sufferings;  they  will  hope  with  you 
for  a  better  and  more  fortunate  day  when  you  will  get  even 
with  that  insolent  and  hateful  enemy,  for  the  battles  of  Jena 
and  Auerstadt." 

"  Pray  to  God,  my  young  friend,  that  that  day  may  speedily 
dawn!"  said  Count  Piickler,  heaving  a  sigh. 

"Pray!"  ejaculated  the  young  man,  impetuously.  "In 
times  like  ours  it  is  not  sufficient  to  pray  and  to  hope  for  di- 
vine assistance;  we  ought  rather  to  act  and  toil,  and,  instead 
of  folding  our  hands,  arm  them  either  with  the  sword  or  with 
the  dagger." 

"With  the  dagger?"  asked  Schill.  "The  dagger  is  the 
weapon  of  assassins." 

"Was  Mffiros  an  assassin  because  he  wanted  to  stab  Diony- 
sius  the  tyrant?"  asked  the  youth.  "  Was  he  not  rather  a  gen- 
erous and  high-minded  man,  whom  our  great  Schiller  deemed 
worthy  of  becoming  the  hero  of  one  of  his  finest  poems? 
When  the  fatherland  is  in  danger,  every  weapon  is  sacred, 
and  every  way  lawful  which  a  bold  heart  desires  to  pursue, 
to  deliver  the  country." 

"  Well,  I  see  already  that  your  heart  will  choose  the  right, 
and  not  shrink  back  from  dangers,"  said  Piickler,  kindly. 
"But,  in  the  first  place,  tell  us  which  way  you  are  now  going 
to  take,  that  we  may  know  whether  we  shall  be  allowed  to 
accompany  you  or  not." 

"  I  come  from  Erfurt,  where  my  parents  are  living,"  said 
the  young  man;  "lust  night  I  was  at  Weimar,  and  now  I  am 
going  to  do  what  I  have  sworn  a  solemn  oath  to  my  father  to 
do.  I  am  on  my  way  to  Leipsic." 

"And  may  I  inquire  what  you  are  going  to  do  in  Leipaic?" 

The  young  man  was  silent,  and  a  flaming  blush  mantled 
for  a  moment  his  delicate,  innocent  face.     "  According  to  my 
father's  wishes,  I  shall  become  there  a  merchant's  appren- 
tice," he  said,  in  a  low  and  embarrassed  voice. 
B — Muiii-BAcn  Yoi-.    10 


22  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  What !  Feeling  so  generous  an  enthusiasm  for  the  father- 
land and  its  soldiers,  you  want  to  become  a  merchant  ?"  asked 
Schill,  in  surprise. 

The  youth  raised  his  blue  eyes  to  him;  they  were  filled 
with  tears. 

"  I  am  ordered  to  become  a  merchant,"  he  said  in  a  low 
voice.  "  My  father  is  a  pious  preacher,  and  hates  and  detests 
warfare;  he  says  it  is  sinful  for  men  to  raise  their  weapons 
against  their  brethren,  as  though  they  were  wild  beasts, 
against  which  you  cannot  defend  yourself  but  by  killing  them. 
My  mother,  in  former  days,  became  familiar  with  the  horrors 
of  war;  she  fears,  therefore,  lest  her  only  son  should  fall 
prey  to  them,  and  wishes  to  protect  him  from  such  a  fate. 
With  bitter  tears,  with  folded  hands,  nay,  almost  on  her 
knees,  she  implored  me  to  desist  from  my  purpose  of  becoming 
a  soldier,  and  not  to  break  her  heart  with  grief  and  anguish. 
My  mother  begged  and  wept,  my  father  scolded  and  threat- 
ened, and  thus  I  was  obliged  to  yield  and  be  a  dutiful  son. 
Three  days  ago  my  father  administered  the  sacrament  to  me, 
and  I  swore  an  oath  to  him  at  the  altar  to  remain  faithful  to 
the  avocation  he  had  selected  for  me,  and  never  to  become  a 
soldier !" 

He  paused,  and  the  tears  which  had  filled  his  eyes  rolled 
like  pearls  over  his  cheeks. 

"  Poor  friend  I"  murmued  Piickler. 

"Poor  brother!"  said  Schill,  indignantly.  "To  be  doomed 
to  wield  the  yardstick  in  place  of  the  sword !  How  can  a 
father  be  so  cruel  as  to  make  his  son  take  such  a  pledge  at 
the  present  time?" 

"  My  father  is  not  cruel,"  said  the  youth,  gently;  "  his  only 
aim  is  my  happiness,  but  he  wishes  to  bring  it  about  in  his 
own  way,  and  not  in  mine.  It  behooves  a  son  to  yield  and 
obey.  Accordingly,  I  shall  not  become  a  soldier,  but  God 
knows  whether  it  will  be  conducive  to  my  happiness.  Many 
a  one  has  already  been  driven  to  commit  a  crime  by  his  de- 
spair at  having  chosen  an  unsuitable  avocation.  But  let  us 
speak  no  more  of  myself,"  he  added,  shaking  his  head  indig- 
nantly, as  if  he  wanted  to  drive  the  tears  from  his  eyes ;  "  let 
us  speak  no  more  of  my  petty,  miserable  grief,  but  of  your 

freat   sorrow,   which  all   Germany  shares   with  you.     You 
now  now  every  thing  concerning  my  affairs,  and  it  only  re- 
mains for  me  to  mention  my  name.     It  is  Staps;  '  Frederick 
Staps'  will  be  my  firm  one  day,  if  I  should  live  to  see  it. " 
"  Your  name  is  Frederick,  like  that  of  Prussia's  great  king," 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  23 

said  Schill,  comfortingly,  "and  who  knows  whether  you  will 
not  one  day  become  a  great  soldier  like  him?" 

"  But  I  have  told  you  already  that  I  have  sworn  at  the  altar 
never  to  become  a  soldier,"  said  Frederick  Staps,  sighing. 
"  I  shall  never  break  the  oath  I  have  sworn  to  my  father, 
nor  the  one  either  which  I  have  sworn  to  myself!" 

"  The  oath  that  you  will  become  a  good  and  honest  man,  I 
suppose?"  asked  Puckler. 

"  It  is  unnecessary  to  tak.  such  an  oath,  because  that  is  a 
matter  of  course,"  said  Frederick  Staps,  quickly.  "  I  swore 
another  oath,  but  nobody  but  God  must  know  it.  When  the 
time  has  come,  you  shall  be  informed  of  it.  Do  not  forget 
my  name,  and  when  you  hear  from  me  one  day,  remember 
this  hour  and  the  tears  you  saw  me  shed  for  being  compelled 
to  choose  an  avocation  that  is  repugnant  to  me." 

"And  in  order  to  remember  us,  you  must  know  who  we 
are,"  exclaimed  Count  Puckler,  stating  his  name. 

"  And  my  name  is  Schill,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "  We  fought 
at  Auerstadt  and  Jena,  and  are  now  wandering  about,  and 
seeking  for  a  place  where  we  may  spend  the  coming  night." 

"  You  will  find  it  in  the  village  in  the  rear  of  the  wood," 
said  Frederick  Staps.  "  Come,  I  will  guide  you  back  to  the  vil- 
lage and  to  the  country  parson,  to  whom  I  have  on  my  way 
just  presented  my  father's  respects.  He  is  a  good  and  generous 
man.  You  will  be  kindly  received  and  nursed  by  him  and 
his  wife;  and  if  French  soldiers  should  come  to  his  house, 
he  would  not  betray,  but  conceal  you." 

"Oh,  what  delightful  words  you  have  just  uttered!"  ex- 
claimed Schill,  joyously.  "  Blessed  be  your  lips  which  have  an- 
nounced to  us  that  we  shall  be  saved,  for,  let  me  tell  you,  we 
should  prefer  death  to  French  captivity!" 

"  I  understand  that,"  said  Frederick  Staps,  quietly.  "Come, 
I  will  guide  you  thither." 

"  And  we  accept  your  offer,  as  friends  ought  to  accept  that 
of  a  friend,"  said  Count  Puckler.  "  We  do  not  say :  '  We  cause 
you  trouble  and  loss  of  time;  let  us  therefore  try  to  find  our 
way  alone;'  but  we  say:  '  In  these  days  of  affliction  we  are  all 
brethren,  and  we  must  rely  on  each  other's  assistance.' 
Come,  therefore,  brother,  and  be  our  guide." 

They  walked  slowly  toward  the  small  wood  from  which 
Staps  had  issued. 

"  You  stated  you  had  been  in  Weimar,  and  spent  a  night 
there,"  asked  Count  Puckler.  "  How  does  the  place  look — 
what  do  people  say,  and  who  is  there?" 


24         NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

"  It  looks  like  a  pandemonium,"  replied  Staps.  "  Noth- 
ing is  to  be  heard  but  curses,  shouts,  threats,  and  screams; 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  faces  pale  with  terror,  and  fleeing  from 
the  pursuing  soldiers.  The  streets  are  crowded  with  men, 
wagons,  and  horses.  The  inhabitants  want  to  leave  the  city; 
they  know  not  whither  to  escape,  and  are  forced  back  at  the 
gates  by  French  soldiers  making  their  entry,  or  by  vehicles 
filled  with  wounded." 

"  And  how  is  it  at  the  palace?  The  duchess  has  fled  from 
the  wrath  of  the  conqueror,  I  suppose?" 

"  No,  the  duchess  has  remained  to  beg  Napoleon  to  have 
mercy  on  her  state  and  her  husband. " 

"  But  is  Napoleon  already  in  Weimar?" 

"Yes;  he  came  over  from  Jena  this  morning.  The  duchess 
received  him  at  the  foot  of  the  palace  staircase,  and  did  not 
avert  her  eyes  from  his  angry  and  haughty  glances,  but  looked 
at  him  with  the  proud  calmness  of  a  noble  German  lady. 
'  You  have  not  fled,  then?'  asked  Napoleon,  harshly.  '  Then 
you  do  not  fear  my  anger  at'the  senseless  and  hostile  conduct 
of  your  husband?'  The  duchess  looked  quietly  at  him.  *  You 
see,  sire,  I  have  remained  because  I  have  confided  in  your  gen- 
erosity, and  wished  to  intercede  for  my  husband  and  my 
people.'  Napoleon  looked  at  her  during  a  long  pause,  and 
her  quiet  dignity  seemed  to  impress  him  very  favorably. 
'  That  was  well  done/  he  said  at  last,  '  and  for  your  sa  ke,  and 
because  you  have  reposed  confidence  in  me,  I  will  forgive 
your  husband.'  *  I  do  not  know  what  occurred  afterward,  for 
I  left  the  palace  when  Napoleon  had  retired  to  the  rooms 
reserved  for  his  personal  use.  My  cousin,  who  is  lady's  maid 
of  the  duchess,  told  me  what  I  have  just  related  to  you." 

"  And  you  did  not  hear  any  thing  about  our  king  and  his 
consort?" 

"  Both  are  said  to  be  on  the  way  to  Magdeburg,  where  they 
will  remain,  if  the  pursuing  enemy  will  permit  them.  Na- 
poleon's hatred  and  wrath  are  not  yet  satiated,  and  his  latest 
bulletin  is  written  in  the  same  vulgar  guard-room  style  as  all 
the  recent  manifestoes  in  which  he  dares  to  revile  the  noble 
and  beautiful  queen." 

"  Then  another  bulletin  has  appeared?" 

"  It  was  just  distributed  among  the  troops  when  I  left 
Weimar.  A  soldier,  whom  I  asked  for  his  copy,  gave  it  to 
me.  Do  you  wish  to  read  it  ?" 

*  Napoleon's  own  words.— Vide  "M6moires  de  Constant,"  vol.  iv.,  and  "History 
of  Napoleon,"  by  *  *  *  r,  vol.  ii.,  p.  105. 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  25 

"  Read  it  to  us,"  said  Count  Piickler.  "  Let  us  rest  a  little 
in  the  shade  of  these  trees,  for  I  confess  I  feel  greatly  ex- 
hausted, and  my  feet  refuse  to  carry  me  any  farther.  And 
how  do  you  feel,  comrade?" 

"  Do  you  believe,  "  asked  Schill,  in  a  faint  voice,  "  do  you 
believe  that  I  should  not  have  given  vent  to  my  auger  at  the 
impudence  of  that  Corsican  who  dares  to  revile  our  noble 
queen,  if  I  had  had  sufficient  strength  to  speak?  Let  us  sit 
down  and  rest.  See,  there  is  a  splendid  old  oak.  Let  us  take 
breath  under  its  shade." 

They  walked  toward  a  large  oak,  which  stood  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  wood,  and  the  foot  of  which  was  overgrown 
with  fragrant  green  moss.  Assisted  by  Staps,  the  two  officers 
seated  themselvs,  and  the  roots,  covered  with  soft  turf,  served 
as  pillows  to  their  wounded  heads. 

"  Oh,  how  delightful  to  rest  on  German  soil  under  a  Ger- 
man oak!"  sighed  Schill.  "I  should  like  to  lie  here  all  my 
lifetime,  looking  up  to  the  rustling  leaves,  and  dreaming! 
Amid  the  stillness  surrounding  us,  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
believe  that  we  witnessed  yesterday  such  wild  strife  and  blood- 
shed. Is  all  this  reality,  or  have  we  had  merely  an  evil,  fever- 
ish dream?" 

"  Touch  your  forehead ;  try  to  raise  your  right  arm,  and 
you  will  see  that  it  is  reality,"  said  Piickler,  laughing  bitterly, 
"and  if  you  should  have  any  doubt,  let  our  young  friend  read 
the  latest  bulletin  issued  by  our  triumpliator.  But  will  you 
promise  not  to  interrupt  him,  nor  to  be  angry  at  what  we  are 
going  to  hear?" 

"  1  promise  you  to  be  perfectly  calm,  for  my  weakness  com- 
pels me  to  be  so.  Read,  friend  Staps.  But,  pray,  let  us  have  the 
German  translation,  for  it  would  be  a  violation  of  the  peace- 
ful silence  of  the  forest,  and  of  the  sacredness  of  the  German 
oak,  if  we  should  use  here  the  language  of  our  enemies." 

Frederick  Staps  sat  down  opposite  the  officers,  on  the 
trunk  of  a  fallen  tree.  Drawing  a  paper  from  his  bosom,  he 
unfolded  it,  and  read  as  follows: 

"  The  battle  of  Jena  has  effaced  the  disgrace  of  Rossbach, 
and  decided  a  campaign  in  seven  days.  Since  the  ninth  of 
October  we  have  proceeded  from  victory  to  victory,  and  the 
battles  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt  have  crowned  all.  The  Prus- 
sian army  is  dispersed — almost  annihilated.  The  king  is  wan- 
dering about  without  shelter,  and  the  queen  will  now  regret 
with  bitter  tears  that  she  instigated  her  husband  to  this 
senseless  and  unjust  war.  Admirable  was  the  conduct  of  our 


26  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

whole  army,  soul-stirring  the  enthusiasm  of  the  brave  soldiers 
for  their  chieftain  and  emperor.  When  there  was  any  mo- 
mentary difficulty  to  overcome,  the  shout  of  '  Long  live  the 
emperor!'  resounded,  animating  all  souls,  and  carrying  away 
all  hearts.  The  emperor  saw  at  the  most  critical  moment  of 
the  battle  that  the  enemy's  cavalry  threatened  the  flanks  of 
the  infantry.  He  galloped  up  to  order  new  manoeuvres,  and 
the  front  to  be  transformed  into  a  square.  At  every  step  he 
was  hailed  by  shouts  of  'Long  live  the  emperor!'  The  sol- 
diers of  the  imperial  guard  were  jealous  of  all  the  other  corps 
who  participated  in  the  battle,  while  they  alone  were  inactive. 
Several  voices  were  already  heard  to  shout,  '  Forward !'  The 
emperor  turned  and  asked,  '  What  is  that?  He  must  assuredly 
be  a  beardless  youth  who  wishes  to  anticipate  me  as  to  what 
I  ought  to  do.  Let  him  wait  until  he  has  commanded  in 
twenty  battles;  then  he  may  claim  to  be  my  adviser/  The 
whole  guard  replied  to  this  rebuke  by  the  unanimous  shout 
of  '  Long  live  the  emperor!'  and  rushed  toward  the  enemy, 
when,  at  length,  the  order  was  given  to  charge.  The  results 
of  this  battle  are  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand  prisoners, 
three  hundred  fieldpieces,  and  thirty  standards.  Among  the 
prisoners  there  are  more  than  twenty  generals.  The  losses 
of  the  Prussian  army  are  very  heavy,  amounting  to  more  than 
twenty  thousand  killed  and  wounded.  Our  losses  are  esti- 
mated at  about  twelve  hundred  killed  and  three  thousand 
wounded. "  * 

Profound  silence  ensued  when  Staps  had  read  the  bulletin. 
The  two  officers  were  still  lying  on  the  ground,  and  their 
dilated  eyes  gazing  at  the  roof  of  foliage  above  them. 

"  And  we  must  quietly  listen  to  that,"  said  Schill,  after  a 
long  pause;  "and  our  hearts  do  not  break  with  grief  and 
rage !  heaven  does  not  grow  dark,  and  earth  does  not  open  to 
swallow  up  the  degraded,  in  order  to  save  them  compassion- 
ately from  the  sense  of  their  humiliation !  These  words  will 
be  read  by  the  whole  of  Europe,  and  all  will  know  that  this 
insolent  conqueror  may  dare  with  impunity  to  speak  in  insult- 
ing terms  of  our  queen,  the  purest  and  best  of  women !" 

"  He  is  the  master  of  the  world,  and  will  issue  many  more 
bulletins  of  this  description,  and  speak  in  such  terms  of  many 
more  princes  and  princesses,"  said  Count  Piickler.  "  He  has 
the  power  to  do  so.  He  needs  only  stretch  out  his  hand,  and 
kingdoms  fall  to  ruins — nations  are  at  his  feet,  and  cry  implor- 
ingly :  '  Let  us  be  your  slaves,  and  lay  your  hand  on  us  as  our 

*  Fifth  bulletin  of  the  Grand  Army. 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  27 

lord  and  master !'  It  is  useless  to  resist  him.  Let  us,  there- 
fore, submit." 

"No,"  exclaimed  Schill,  rising,  "no,  let  us  not  submit. 
When  a  whole  nation  arouses  itself,  and  shakes  its  lion's 
mane,  there  is  no  hand,  even  though  it  were  an  iron  one, 
that  could  hold  and  subdue  it." 

"But  our  nation  will  not  rise  again — it  has  been  crushed," 
said  Piickler,  mournfully.  "  It  is  sleeping  the  sleep  of  death." 

"No,  it  has  not  been  crushed.  No,  it  will  not  die!"  ex- 
claimed Schill,  in  an  outburst  of  generous  rage.  "  It  is  only 
necessary  to  instill  genuine  vitality  into  its  veins,  and  to 
awaken  it  from  its  lethargy  by  soul-stirring  exhortations,  as 
our  young  friend  here  encouraged  and  strengthened  us  an 
hour  ago  by  his  noble  song.  Oh,  sing  again,  friend  Staps! 
Purify  the  air — which  is  still  infected  by  the  words  of  the 
imperial  bulletin — purify  it  by  another  German  song,  and 
let  the  native  oak,  which  has  listened  to  our  disgrace,  now 
hear  also  manly  words.  Sing!  and  may  your  voice  reach  our 
poor  soldiers  who  are  closing  their  eyes  on  the  battle-field; 
and  may  it  breathe  the  consolation  into  their  ears,  '  You  die 
for  Germany,  but  Germany  does  not  die — she  lives,  and  will 
rise  again !' " 

"Yes,  I  will  sing,"  said  Frederick  Staps,  enthusiastically, 
"but  I  wish  that  every  note  issuing  from  my  breast  would 
transform  itself  into  a  sword,  and  strike  around  with  the 
storm's  resistless  fury!" 

"In  that  case  all  of  us,  and  yourself,  too,  would  be  the 
first  victims,"  said  Piickler,  with  a  melancholy  smile. 

"Of  what  consequence  are  our  lives,  if  they  are  given  up 
for  the  fatherland?"  exclaimed  Staps,  fervently.  "  Oh,  be- 
lieve me,  I  could,  like  Mucius  Scaevola,  lay  my  hand  on  the 
red-hot  iron,  and  not  wince,  but  sing  jubilant  hymns,  if  I 
thought  that  my  torture  would  be  useful  to  my  country. 
Now,  I  can  only  sing,  only  pray,  only  weep.  But  who  knows 
whether  I  shall  not  become  one  day  a  modern  Mucius  Scaevola, 
a  modern  Moeros,  and  deliver  the  world  from  its  tyrant?" 

And  suddenly  raising  his  voice,  with  a  radiant  face,  he 
began  to  sing : 

Frisch  auf  I  Es  ruft  das  Vaterland 

Die  Manner  In  die  Schlacht. 

Frisch  auf  !  Zu  dampfen  Truf?  und  Schond  1 

Heran  mil  Macht,  nut  Macht ! 

Heran  und  braucht  den  Mannerleib, 

Wozu  ihn  Gott  gebaut : 

7.UIU  Si -I  i  in  11  der  Junftfrau  und  dem  Weib, 

Dem  Saugling  und  der  Braut  1 


&i  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Denn  ein  Tyrann  mit  Lugenwort 
Und  Strick  und  Henkerschwert, 
Uebt  in  dem  Vaterlande  Mord, 
Und  schandet  Tbron  und  Heerd, 

Und  will,  so  weit  die  Sonne  scheint 

Der  einz'ge  Konig  seiu  ; 

Ein  Menschenfeind,  ein  Freiheitsfeind, 

Spricht  er :  die  Welt  ist  mein  1 

Verhiit'  es  Gott  und  Hermann's  Blut ! 
Nie  werde  solches  wahr  1 
Erwache,  alter  deutscher  Muth, 
Der  Recht  und  Licht  gebar  1 

Erwache  !  sender  Rast  und  Run, 

Schlag'  Jeden  der  dir  droht, 

Und  ruf '  ihm  deutsche  Losung  zu : 

"  Sieg  gelt'  es,  Oder  Tod  1 "  * 

"  Victory  or  death !"  shouted  the  two  officers,  raising  their 
hands  and  eyes  toward  heaven. 

"  When  will  the  Germans  sing  and  act  in  this  manner?" 
asked  Count  Puckler,  sadly. 

"  When  we  have  awakened  them  I"  exclaimed  Schill,  joy- 
fully. "  For  that  is  now  our  only  task :  to  arouse  the  Ger- 
mans, and  to  remind  them  of  their  duty  and  honor.  Every 
one  ought  to  raise  his  voice  for  this  purpose,  and  toil  for  it. 
The  time  is  past  when  the  nation  was  separated  from  the 
army,  and  when  the  civilian  hated  the  soldier.  All  these  sep- 
arate interests  we  buried  yesterday  on  the  battle-fields  of  Jena 
and  Auerstadt.  Heaven  permitted  our  army  to  be  defeated 
for  the  purpose  of  teaching  us  that  its  heart  was  demoralized 
and  its  vitality  entirely  gone.  But  Bonaparte,  who  believes 
his  successes  to  be  due  solely  to  his  own  energy  and  sagacity, 
is,  after  all,  nothing  but  the  scourge  that  God  uses  to  chastise 
us.  And,  after  chastising  us  sufficiently,  the  scourge  will  be 
cast  aside,  and  lie  on  the  ground,  trampled  under  foot  and 
despised,  while  we  shall  rise  and  become  again  a  glorious  nation. 
But,  in  order  to  bring  about  this  change,  it  is  necessary  to 
arouse  the  Prussians,  and  fan  the  flames  of  their  patriotism. 
Every  Prussian  must  feel  and  know  that  he  is  a  soldier  of  the 
grand  army  which  we  shall  one  day  place  in  the  field  against 
the  so-called  grand  army  of  Napoleon,  and,  when  the  call  of 
' Rally  round  the  flag!'  resounds,  he  must  take  up  the  sword, 
and  proudly  feel  that  the  holy  vengeance  of  the  fatherland  is 
placed  in  his  hands." 

"  But  suppose  there  is  no  one  to  utter  the  cry  of  '  Rally 
round  the  flag !'  how  are  the  people  to  appear  and  take  up 
arms?" 

"We  are  there,  and  we  shall  exhort  the  people  to  arms!" 

*  "  Victory  or  death  I "    A  very  popular  hymn  of  that  period. 


THE  OATH   OF  VENGEANCE.  29 

said  Schill,  energetically.  "  Henceforth,  we  must  not  wait 
until  the  generals  call  us;  we  ourselves  must  be  generals,  and 
organize  armies — every  one  after  his  own  fashion — according 
to  his  influence.  We  must  travel  over  the  country,  and  enlist 
recruits.  As  we  have  no  standing  army,  we  must  form  inde- 
pendent corps,  and,  by  means  of  raids,  harass  and  molest  the 
enemy.  The  strongest  lion  succumbs  when  stung  by  many 
bees.  Every  Prussian  must  turn  conspirator,  and  prevail  on 
his  neighbor  to  join  the  great  conspiracy;  secret  leagues  and 
clubs  must  be  instituted  everywhere,  and  work  and  agitate 
until  we  are  united  like  one  man,  and,  with  the  resistless 
power  of  our  holy  wrath,  expel  the  tyrant  who  enslaves  us!" 

"  Yes,  you  are  right;  we  must  not  give  way  to  timid  de- 
spondency, but  hope  and  dare  every  thing.  Every  one  must 
become  a  general,  and  enlist  troops,  to  attack  the  enemy 
whenever  and  wherever  he  can!" 

"  I  shall  also  enlist  my  troops,  and  lead  them  against  the 
enemy,"  exclaimed  Staps,  with  sparkling  eyes.  "  But  my 
troops  will  not  be  made  of  flesh  and  blood.  They  will  be 
the  songs  I  sing,  and  one  day  I  shall  march  out  with  them, 
and  challenge  the  tyrant  to  mortal  combat!  Yes,  you  are 
right  in  saying,  '  Every  one  must  fight  after  his  own  fashion, 
and  according  to  his  power  and  influence;'  let  me  fight,  too, 
after  my  fashion !" 

"  Go  and  fight,  and  may  the  blessings  of  all  the  brave  follow 
you !"  said  Schill,  placing  his  hand  on  the  head  of  the  youth. 
"  Let  us  take  here,  under  the  German  oak,  a  solemn  oath  that 
we  will  devote  our  fortunes,  our  lives,  and  our  sacred  honor, 
to  the  fatherland!" 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  Piickler  and  Staps,  "  we  will  take  that 
oath!" 

"  Let  us,"  said  Schill,  "  then  swear  to  strive  for  nothing  but 
to  deliver  Germany  from  the  grasp  of  the  tyrant." 

"  We  swear,"  continued  Schill,  "  to  regard  ourselves  from 
this  hour  as  soldiers  of  the  grand  army  one  day  to  battle  for  our 
liberties — to  leave  nothing  undone  in  enlisting  fresh  troops 
— that  our  life  shall  be  nothing  but  an  inexorable  and  never- 
flagging  struggle  against  the  usurper — that  we  will  rather  die 
than  submit.  We  vow  vengeance  against  him,  and  deliver- 
ance to  the  fatherland !" 

When  all  had  repeated  this  oath,  Schill  said,  solemnly, 
"  The  German  oak  has  heard  our  words,  and  they  are  regis- 
tered on  high ;  now,  my  friends,  let  us  go  and  enter  into  a 
new  life — a  new  future.  Let  us  take  care  of  the  body,  in 


30  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

order  to  impart  strength  to  the  mind  to  carry  out  its  schemes. 
Come,  let  us  go  I" 

They  passed  on,  and  soon  reached  the  village,  guided  by 
Staps  to  the  parsonage. 

The  clergyman  joyfully  received  the  officers;  his  wife  pre- 
pared her  best  rooms  for  them,  and  pledged  herself,  like  her 
husband,  to  protect  them  at  the  risk  of  her  life,  if  French 
soldiers  should  arrive,  and  search  the  house  for  wounded 
Prussians. 

"Now  you  are  safe,  and  I  can  go,"  said  Frederick  Staps, 
when  he  was  again  alone  with  his  friends,  their  host  having 
withdrawn  to  prepare  every  thing  that  was  necessary  for  the 
comfort  of  his  guests.  "  I  cannot  stay  here  any  longer,  for 
I  have  promised  my  father  to  proceed  without  delay  to 
Leipsic,  and  I  must  keep  my  pledge  to  him,  as  I  shall  keep  it 
to  you.  Farewell,  friends;  may  God  protect  you,  and  may 
your  deeds  fill  the  world  with  your  glory,  so  that  the  poor 
merchant's  apprentice  in  Leipsic  may  also  hear  of  it  I" 

"  The  poor  merchant's  apprentice  is  also  a  soldier  of  our 
grand  army  of  the  future,"  said  Schill ;  "  we  have  enlisted 
him,  and  he  will  go  and  fulfil  his  duty  to  his  fatherland." 

"  Yes,  you  may  depend  on  it  he  will  do  his  duty,"  exclaimed 
Staps,  "  and  you  will  hear  of  him  one  day.  Farewell,  and, 
please  God !  we  shall  meet  again !" 

"  Yes,  we  shall  meet  again,"  said  the  two  officers,  cordially 
shaking  hands  with  the  youth,  and  taking  leave  of  him. 

Staps  left  the  room  hastily.  When  he  turned  round  once 
more  at  the  door,  and  greeted  the  friends  with  a  nod,  they 
saw  that  his  eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 

The  clergyman's  wife  now  entered  to  serve  up  the  dinner 
she  herself  had  prepared,  and  there  was  added  a  bottle  of  old 
Hock  from  the  wine-cellar. 

"  In  the  first  place,  however,"  said  the  clergyman  to  Schill, 
"  I  must  see  and  dress  your  arm,  sir;  I  am  quite  experienced 
in  dressing  wounds,  having  taken  lessons  in  surgery  in  order 
to  assist  our  poor  peasants  in  case  of  injuries,  and  render  it 
unnecessary  for  them  to  pay  large  doctors'  bills.  Let  me, 
therefore,  be  your  surgeon,  too." 

Schill  gratefully  accepted  his  kind  offer,  and  after  his  wife 
had  brought  every  thing  necessary  for  dressing  a  wound,  the 
clergyman  examined  Schill's  arm,  and  removed  the  coagulated 
blood  from  it. 

"  It  is  a  very  deep  flesh-wound/'  he  said,  "  fortunately  the 
bone  is  uninjured." 


THE  OATH  OF  VENGEANCE.  31 

"Then  I  shall  soon  be  able  to  use  my  arm  again?"  asked 
Schill,  joyfully. 

"  Not  for  a  few  weeks  yet,  unless  you  wish  to  run  the  risk 
of  losing  it  entirely.  Mortification  might  set  in  after  the 
wound  has  commenced  ulcerating.  Hence,  you  must  be  very 
Cautious,  and  live  as  quietly  as  possible.  Your  hands  are  now 
already  burning,  and  your  fever  will  be  very  severe.  Unfor- 
tunately, I  have  brought  up  my  wine  in  vain.  Both  of  you, 
gentlemen,  will  not  be  able  to  drink  it  to-day,  nor  to-morrow, 
nor  the  day  after  to-morrow  either.  For  the  first  three  days 
your  fever,  as  I  stated  already,  will  be  very  serious." 

This  prediction  was  fulfilled.  For  three  days  the  officers 
were  unable  to  rise  from  their  couch.  They  were  delirious, 
and  unaware  of  the  danger  menacing  them.  A  French  regi- 
ment had  come  to  the  village  to  spend  the  night,  and  four  of 
its  officers  established  their  headquarters  at  the  parsonage. 

But  as  soon  as  the  French  troops  had  been  descried  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  village,  the  clergyman,  assisted  by  his 
wife  and  servants,  had  removed  the  wounded,  and  prepared  a 
safe  refuge  for  them  in  the  hay-loft  of  his  barn,  far  from  the 
dwelling-house.  He  himself  remained  with  them,  and,  while 
his  wife  received  the  French  officers,  and  informed  them  that 
her  husband  was  not  at  home,  the  good  old  man  was  sitting 
in  the  hay-loft  beside  his  guests,  nursing  them  with  the  kind- 
ness of  a  father  and  the  skill  of  an  experienced  physician. 
He  had  locked  the  door  of  his  asylum,  and  a  loaded  gun  and 
nnsheathed  sword  were  within  his  reach,  in  order  forcibly  to 
drive  back  the  French,  in  case  they  should  try  to  penetrate 
into  this  hiding-place. 

But  the  danger  passed,  and  the  fever  abated.  Four  days 
afterward  the  two  Prussians  were  strong  enough  to  continue 
their  journey.  The  clergyman  himself  drove  them  in  his 
carriage  to  the  neighboring  town,  where  they  bought  two 
horses  and  departed — not  together,  however,  but  by  different 
routes.  Count  Piickler  took  the  road  to  Breslau ;  Ferdinand 
von  Schill  turned  toward  Kolberg. 

Before  parting,  they  cordially  shook  hands  once  more. 

"  Let  us  remember  the  oath  under  the  German  oak,"  said 
Schill. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Piickler.  "  We  shall  not  desert  the  father- 
land, but  serve  it  with  our  whole  strength,  and  after  that  is 
exhausted,  we  know  how  to  die." 


3J5  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 


CHAPTER     IV. 

IK     BERLIN. 

THE  utmost  uneasiness  and  suspense  prevailed  in  Berlin. 
Several  rumors  had  already  reached  the  capital.  It  was  re- 
ported that,  on  the  14th  of  October,  a  battle  had  taken  place 
between  the  Prussians  and  French  forces.  To-day  was  the 
18th,  and  no  news  had  been  received;  nothing  definite  was 
known  about  the  result  of  the  battle.  But  the  people  said, 
if  it  had  been  favorable  to  the  Prussians,  the  couriers,  to 
whom  joy  would  have  lent  wings,  would  have  reached  the 
capital  long  since;  and  this  continued  silence  and  incertitude 
seemed  to  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin  more  discouraging  than 
any  positive  intelligence,  however  disastrous  it  might  be. 

No  one  had  the  heart  to  work  longer — no  one  could  be 
prevailed  upon  to  follow  his  usual  avocation;  all  felt  para- 
lyzed by  a  secret  terror;  and  hastened  into  the  street,  as 
though  they  hoped  some  decisive  news  would  fly  through  the 
air  and  put  an  end  to  this  dreadful  suspense. 

All  Berlin  seemed  to  have  met  in  the  streets  on  the  morn- 
ing of  this  18th  October,  and  the  people  hastened  in  vast 
crowds  toward  the  house  of  the  governor  of  the  capital ;  they 
consisted  to-day  not  only  of  the  lower  classes  of  society  but 
the  noblest  and  best  had  united  with  them.  Men  of  mind 
and  education,  the  representatives  of  art  and  science,  were 
to  be  seen  among  them.  There  was  no  distinction  of  rank  or 
position — every  one  felt  that  he  was  united  with  his  fellow- 
citizens  by  the  same  care,  anxiety,  and  affection;  every  one 
knew  that  all  the  thousands  surrounding  him  entertained  the 
same  wishes  and  apprehensions,  and  thus  social  distinctions 
were  unnoticed.  The  high-born  and  the  rich,  the  poor  and 
the  lowly,  all  felt  only  that  they  were  Prussians — that  they 
were  Germans;  all  were  animated  by  one  desire;  to  learn 
what  had  been  the  result  of  the  battle,  and  whether  the 
Prussians,  faithful  to  their  ancient  military  glory,  had  de- 
feated the  enemy,  or,  like  the  other  nations,  succumbed  to 
Napoleon. 

Thousands  hastened,  therefore,  to  the  residence  of  the 


IN  BERLIN.  33 

governor  of  Berlin,  Count  von  Schulenburg,  and  called  vocif- 
erously for  him.  When  the  count  appeared  on  the  balcony 
and  asked  what  the  crowd  wanted,  hundreds  of  voices  shouted 
in  thundering  chorus:  "  We  want  to  know  whether  the  army 
has  fought  a  battle,  and  whether  it  was  defeated!" 

Count  Schulenburg  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  amid  the 
silence  that  ensued  his  ringing  voice  was  heard  to  say :  "I 
have  not  yet  received  any  definite  intelligence;  but  so  soon 
as  I  have  it,  I  shall  deem  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  commu- 
nicate it  to  the  citizens  of  Berlin." 

The  governor  returned  with  tottering  steps  into  his  house. 
For  a  moment  the  people  remained  silent,  and  seemed  still  to 
listen  to  the  words  they  had  just  heard;  but  suddenly  a  loud, 
powerful  voice  shouted :  "  If  the  governor  does  not  know 
any  thing,  perhaps  Professor  Lange  does.  He  has  established 
a  newspaper  for  the  special  purpose  of  communicating  to  us 
the  latest  news  from  the  seat  of  war;  let  us  go  to  his  house 
and  ask  him  what  the  Telegraph  says."  * 

"  Yes,  yes,  let  us  go  to  his  house  and  ask  him  what  the 
Telegraph  says !"  yelled  the  crowd.  "  Where  does  Professor 
Lange  five?  Who  can  guide  us  to  him?" 

"  I  can  do  so,"  said  the  same  voice  that  had  spoken  before. 
"  Professor  Lange  lives  at  22  Leipsic  Street." 

"  Come,  come,  let  us  go  to  Professor  Lange!  Let  us  hear 
what  the  Telegraph  says!"  shouted  the  crowd,  and  hastened 
across  the  Opera  Place  and  Gensdarmes  Market  down  Char- 
lotte Street  to  the  residence  of  the  journalist. 

"  The  Telegraph  !  the  Telegraph  !  "  yelled  the  people.  "  We 
want  to  know  what  the  Telegraph  says!  Professor  Lange, 
give  us  the  news  from  the  seat  of  war!" 

A  window  on  the  first  floor  was  hastily  opened,  and  the 
pale,  frightened  face  of  a  gentleman  looked  out.  "  What  do 
you  want  to  see  me  for?"  asked  a  tremulous  and  hollow  voice. 
"  Why  do  you  mention  the  Telegraph  S  " 

"  We  want  news  from  the  army !  We  want  to  know  whether 
it  is  true  that  we  have  lost  a  battle ! " 

"  God  forbid!"  said  the  gentleman  at  the  window.  "  I  have 
not  received  any  news  whatever  for  the  last  three  days;  I 
know  only  one  thing,  and  that  is,  that  Cabinet  Counsellor 
Lombard,  who  was  at  the  headquarters  of  the  army  in  Wei- 
mar, returned  last  night  to  Berlin,  and  is  now  at  his  resi- 

*  The  TtUgrnph  was  a  journal  founded  by  a  certain  Professor  Lange,  on  the  day 
when  the  Prussian  army  left  Berlin.  In  his  prospectus  he  spoke  in  the  most  fulsome 
terms  of  the  "  invincible  army  of  Frederick  the  Great,"  and  promised  to  publish  al- 
ways the  latest  news  from  the  seat  of  war. 


34  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

dence.  Counsellor  Lombard,  therefore,  would  be  the  man  to 
whom  you  ought  to  apply." 

"  Lombard !  Lombard !"  shouted  the  crowd,  accompanying 
the  name  with  bitter  imprecations.  When  this  name  was 
heard,  all  faces  turned  gloomy,  and  every  voice  assumed  an 
angry  and  threatening  tone. 

"  Lombard  is  to  blame  for  every  thing !"  grumbled  a  few 
here  and  there,  and  "  Lombard  is  to  blame  for  every  thing !" 
was  repeated  louder  and  louder.  The  excitement  was  as 
when  a  storm,  sweeping  over  the  sea,  lashes  its  waves,  until, 
rising  higher  and  higher,  they  foam  with  fury. 

"  Lombard  sides  with  the  French  I"  reiterated  the  surging 
mass.  "  He  has  secretly  informed  the  enemy  of  all  the  oper- 
ations of  our  army,  and  if  the  Prussians  are  defeated,  he 
will  be  glad  of  it.  We  will  go  to  Lombard,  and  he  must  tell 
us  all  he  knows.  But  woe  to  him  if  the  news  should  be  bad !" 

And  the  multitude  with  savage  yells  hastened  down  the 
street,  back  to  the  Linden,  and  toward  the  residence  of  Cabi- 
net Counsellor  Lombard. 

All  the  window-blinds  of  his  house  were  closed,  as  they  had 
been  for  the  last  two  weeks,  since  this  well-known  favorite  of 
Minister  von  Haugwitz  had  repaired  to  the  headquarters  of 
the  army  at  Weimar.  But  Professor  Lange  had  stated,  per- 
haps for  the  sole  purpose  of  diverting  the  general  attention 
from  himself,  and  of  directing  it  toward  the  unpopular  cabinet 
counsellor,  that  Lombard  had  returned,  and  the  people  be- 
lieved him. 

"  Lombard !  Lombard  I"  shouted  hundreds  of  voices.  Eyes 
which  had  hitherto  looked  only  sad  and  anxious  became 
threatening;  many  a  fist  was  lifted  up  to  the  closed  windows, 
and  many  an  imprecation  uttered. 

"  If  a  disaster  has  taken  place,  it  is  Lombard's  fault,"  cried 
one  of  the  crowd. 

"  If  it  is  his  fault,  he  shall  and  must  atone  for  it,"  exclaimed 
another. 

"  He  has  no  heart  for  Prussia's  honor,"  said  a  third.  "  He 
is  a  German-Frenchman,  and  would  not  object  if  the  whole  of 
Prussia  should  become  a  French  province.  If  he  knew  how 
to  do  it,  he  certainly  would  not  shrink  from  it,  even  should 
he  bring  captivity  and  distress  upon  the  king  and  the  queen !" 

"  He  has  already  done  much  mischief,"  shouted  another. 
"  The  Eussian  army  which  was  to  support  ours  ought  to  have 
been  here  long  ago,  but  he  detained  the  dispatches  in  which 
the  king  informed  the  czar  that  our  army  had  advanced 


IN  BERLIN.  35 

against  the  French.  It  is  his  fault  that  the  Russians  have 
not  yet  arrived." 

"  It  is  his  fault  that  the  Russians  have  not  yet  arrived !" 
roared  the  wild  chorus,  and  the  furious  men  began  to  rush 
toward  the  house.  Many  armed  themselves  with  stones, 
hurled  them  at  the  walls  and  broke  the  windows;  others 
commenced  striking  with  vigorous  fists  at  the  closed  door. 

"  Open  the  door!  open  the  door !  We  want  to  see  Lom- 
bard !  He  shall  account  for  what  he  has  done !"  exclaimed 
the  enraged  men.  "  Woe  to  him  if  it  be  true  that  we  have  lost 
a  battle!  Woe  to  him  if— 

"Silence!  silence!"  suddenly  thundered  a  loud,  imperious 
voice.  "  See,  there  is  a  courier  I" 

"A.  courier!  A  courier!"  and  all  rushed  back  from  the 
house  into  the  street;  every  eye  turned  toward  the  horseman, 
who  approached  at  full  gallop. 

As  if  obeying  a  military  command,  the  multitude  made 
way  for  him,  but  at  every  step  they  closed  behind  him,  and, 
pressing  him  on  all  sides,  his  progress  was  exceedingly 
slow. 

But  the  courier,  with  his  gloomy  mien  and  pale  cheeks, 
looked  like  a  bearer  of  bad  news,  and  when  the  people  had 
scanned  his  features,  they  murmured,  "He  brings  bad  news! 
A  disaster  is  written  on  his  forehead!" 

"  Let  me  pass,"  he  said  in  an  imploring  voice;  "  in  the  name 
of  the  king,  let  me  pass !"  And  as  he  spurred  his  horse,  the 
bystanders  fell  back  in  alarm. 

"'  In  the  name  of  the  king!'  the  king,  then,  is  still  alive?" 

"Yes,  the  king  is  alive!"  replied  the  courier,  sadly.  "I 
have  dispatches  from  him  for  the  Governor  of  Berlin  and 
Cabinet  Counsellor  Lombard." 

"  And  what  do  these  dispatches  contain?"  asked  a  thousand 
voices. 

"  I  do  not  know,  and  even  though  I  did,  I  am  not  at  liberty 
to  tell  you.  The  governor  will  communicate  the  news  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Berlin." 

"  Tell  ns  the  news !"  demanded  the  people. 

"I  cannot  do  so;  and,  moreover,  I  do  not  know  any  thing 
about  it,"  replied  the  courier,  who  had  now  reached  Lombard's 
house,  and  whose  horse  was  again  so  closely  surrounded  that 
it  was  scarcely  able  to  move  its  feet. 

"  Do  not  detain  me,  my  friends,  I  beseech  you — let  me  dis- 
mount here,"  said  the  courier.  "  I  must  deliver  my  dispatches 
to  Cabinet  Counsellor  Lombard  " 


36  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Oh,  let  him  deliver  his  dispatches.  We  can  afterward 
compel  M.  Lombard  to  communicate  their  contents/' 

"  Yes;  let  him  deliver  his  dispatches,"  said  all;  "  Lombard 
shall  presently  tell  us  what  they  contain." 

The  crowd  stood  back  on  both  sides  of  the  door,  and  busy 
hands  were  ready  to  assist  the  rider  in  dismounting.  But 
before  he  had  been  able  to  do  so,  a  voice  from  the  rear  was 
heard:  "Ask  him  where  the  queen  is  at  present!" 

"Yes,  yes,  where  is  the  queen?  where  is  the  queen?" 

"  The  queen?"  said  he.  "  I  passed  her  fifteen  minutes  ago 
near  the  city  and  delivered  dispatches  to  her,  too.  The 
queen?  Look  there  I"  And  he  pointed  to  the  Brandenburg 
gate. 

A  carriage,  drawn  by  six  horses,  was  seen  rapidly  ap- 
proaching. 

"  The  queen !  It  is  the  queen !"  joyfully  shouted  every  one, 
and  the  thousands  who  had  been  a  moment  before  so  anxious 
to  learn  the  news,  and  to  call  Lombard  to  account,  rushed 
toward  the  carriage.  Meantime  the  courier,  whose  presence 
seemed  to  be  entirely  forgotten,  dismounted,  and  rapped 
softly  at  the  door.  It  was  at  once  opened  in  a  cautious  man- 
ner, and  a  voice  whispered:  "  Take  your  horse  into  the  house. 
You  can  afterward  ride  through  the  garden,  and  out  of  the 
back  gate  to  the  governor's  residence." 

The  door  was  hastily  thrown  open,  and  closed  as  soon  as  the 
courier  had  entered  with  his  horse.  No  notice  was  taken  of 
this  movement,  for  every  one  thought  only  of  the  queen,  and 
looked  anxiously  through  the  closed  coach  windows. 

"The  queen!  It  is  the  queen!"  exclaimed  the  people, 
greeting  the  beloved  lady  in  the  most  rapturous  manner. 
All  arms  were  raised  in  sign  of  respect,  and  every  voice 
uttered  a  welcome  of  "  Long  live  the  queen !" 

The  carriage  window  was  lowered,  and  Louisa's  beautiful 
face  appeared;  but  she  looked  pale  and  afflicted;  her  eyes, 
generally  so  radiant,  seemed  dimmed  and  tearful;  yet  she 
tried  to  smile,  and  bowed  repeatedly  to  her  enthusiastic 
friends,  who  rushed  impetuously  toward  her,  and,  in  their 
exultation,  forgetful  of  the  rules  of  etiquette,  seized  the  reins 
and  stopped  the  horses. 

"  We  want  to  see  our  queen !  Long  live  our  Queen  Louisa !" 
cried  thousands  of  voices.  Those  who  stood  nearest  the 
carriage,  and  beheld  her  countenance,  fell  on  their  knees  in 
the  fervor  of  their  love,  and  eyes  that  never  before  had  wept 
were  filled  with  tears;  for  she  seemed  as  an  angel  of  sorrow 


IN  BERLIN.  37 

and  suffering.  She  rose,  and,  leaning  out  of  the  coach  door, 
returned  the  affectionate  greetings  of  her  faithful  subjects, 
and,  weeping,  stretched  out  her  arms  as  if  to  bless  them. 

"Long  live  the  queen!  Long  live  Louisa!"  they  cried,  and 
those  who  held  the  horses,  in  order  to  stop  the  carriage, 
dropped  the  reins,  rushed  toward  the  coach  door,  threw  up 
their  hats,  and  joined  in  the  welcome  cry.  The  coach- 
man, profiting  by  this  movement,  drove  onward.  The  peo- 
ple, whose  desire  had  been  satisfied  in  having  seen  their 
queen,  no  longer  resisted,  and  permitted  the  carriage  to  roll 
away. 

Louisa  closed  her  coach  window,  and,  sinking  back  upon 
the  cushions,  exclaimed  in  a  heart-rending  tone,  "Alas!  it  is 

Eerhaps  the  last  time  that  they  thus  salute  me!  Soon,  per- 
aps,  I  shall  be  no  longer  Queen  of  Prussia!"  She  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands,  and  sobbed  aloud. 

"  Do  not  weep,"  whispered  Madame  von  Berg,  the  queen's 
intimate  friend,  who  was  sitting  by  her  side,  "  do  not  weep. 
It  may  be  a  dispensation  of  Providence  that  the  crown  shall 
fall  from  your  head  for  a  moment,  but  He  will  replace  it 
more  firmly,  and  one  day  you  will  again  be  happy." 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  for  the  sake  of  my  own  majesty,  and  for  my 
little  worldly  splendor,  that  I  am  lamenting  at  this  moment," 
said  the  queen,  removing  her  hands  from  her  face.  "  I  should 
gladly  plunge  into  obscurity  and  death  if  my  husband  and 
my  children  were  exempted  from  humiliation,  and  if  these 
good  people,  who  love  me,  and  are  attached  to  their  king, 
should  not  be  compelled  to  recognize  a  foreigner  as  their 
master,  and  bow  to  him !" 

"  Even  though  the  people  should  be  subjugated  at  present," 
said  Madame  von  Berg,  solemnly,  "  they  will  rise  one  day  and 
avenge  their  disgrace!" 

"  Would  you  were  a  true  prophetess !"  exclaimed  Louisa. 
"  I  hope  the  people  will  remain  faithful  to  us  in  adversity, 
and  never  forget  their  love  for  their  king!  Yes,  I  will  hope 
for  that  day,  and  pray  that  it  may  come  speedily.  I  will 
weep  no  more;  but  remember  that  I  am  a  mother,  and  shall 
see  my  children  again — not  to  leave  them,  but  to  hasten  with 
them  to  my  husband,  who  is  waiting  for  me  at  Kiistrin.  In 
half  an  hour  we  must  continue  our  journey." 

Just  then  the  carriage  drove  past  the  main  guard-house. 
The  soldiers  presented  arms,  and  the  drums  beat. 

A  melancholy  smile  overspread  the  queen's  features.  "  Do 
you  remember  what  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  said  to  his 


38  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

mother,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  to  the  army  ?"  she 
asked  in  a  low  voice. 

"  No,  your  majesty,  I  do  not  remember,  and  it  is  possible 
that  I  never  heard  of  it." 

"  The  princess  believed  a  defeat  of  our  army  to  be  utterly 
impossible,"  said  the  queen.  "  She  thought  Prussia  was  so 
strong  a  bulwark  that  the  proud  assault  of  the  French  empire 
would  be  in  vain.  '  You  are  mistaken/  exclaimed  Prince  Louis 
Ferdinand ;  ( you  think  nothing  will  change,  and  the  drums 
will  always  be  beaten  when  you  ride  out  at  the  gate  ?  On  the 
contrary,  I  tell  you,  mamma,  one  day  you  will  ride  out  of  the 
gate,  and  no  drums  will  be  beaten !'  The  same  will  happen 
to  us,  my  dear — we  will  often  ride  out  of  the  gate,  and  no 
drums  will  be  beaten.  But  here  is  our  house,  and  I  must 
hide  my  tears.  I  will  show  a  smiling  face  to  my  children." 

The  queen's  carriage  stopped  for  the  first  time  at  the  door- 
steps of  the  palace  without  meeting  there  the  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen of  the  court,  the  high  dignitaries  and  functionaries 
who  had  formerly  never  failed  to  wait  on  her.  She  had  come 
without  being  expected,  but  on  this  day  of  anxiety  and  terror 
the  announcement  of  her  arrival  would  have  made  no  differ- 
ence; for  every  one  thought  only  of  himself,  and  was  occupied 
with  his  own  safety.  Only  a  few  faithful  servants,  therefore, 
received  her,  and  bade  her  welcome  with  tearful  eyes. 

"  Where  are  my  children?"  exclaimed  the  queen,  anxiously. 
"  Why  are  they  not  here  to  receive  their  mother  ?" 

"  Your  majesty,"  said  the  palace-steward,  in  a  low  voice, 
"a  courier,  sent  hither  by  the  king,  arrived  last  night,  unfor- 
tunately having  failed  to  meet  with  your  majesty  on  the  road. 
The  royal  princes  and  princesses  set  out  two  hours  ago  to 
Stettin,  and  thence  to  Grandenz.  Such  were  his  majesty's 
orders." 

The  queen  suppressed  the  cry  of  pain  which  rose  to  her 
lips,  but  a  deadly  pallor  overspread  her  cheeks.  "  In  half  an 
hour  I  shall  set  out,"  she  said  faintly.  "  Pack  up  only  the 
most  indispensable  articles  for  me;  in  half  an  hour  I  must 
be  ready  to  enter  my  carriage.  I  shall,  perhaps,  overtake  my 
children  in  Stettin."  And  she  retired  to  her  room,  struggling 
to  conceal  the  emotions  that  so  violently  agitated  her. 


QUIET  IS  THE  CITIZEN'S  FIKST  DUTY.  39 


CHAPTER    V. 

QUIET    IS    THE    CITIZEN'S    FICST    DUTY. 

THE  people  in  the  meantime,  gathering  in  still  greater 
numbers  in  the  broad  street  under  the  Linden,  returned  to 
the  house  of  Lombard,  and  saw,  to  their  great  disappoint- 
ment, that  the  courier  was  no  longer  there. 

"Now,  we  want  to  know  the  news  contained  in  the  dis- 
patches, and  Counsellor  Lombard  must  tell  us,"  shouted  one 
of  the  men  standing  in  front  of  the  house;  he  then  com- 
menced hammering  the  door  with  his  powerful  fists.  Others 
joined  him,  and  to  the  measure  of  this  threatening  music  the 
crowd  yelled,  "The  dispatches!  the  dispatches!  Lombard 
must  come  out!  He  must  tell  us  what  the  dispatches  con- 
tain! We  want  to  know  whether  our  army  has  been  de- 
feated, or  has  won  the  battle  I" 

When  no  voice  replied,  nor  door  nor  window  opened,  the 
mob,  whose  anger  grew  more  menacing,  seized  once  more 
their  former  weapons,  the  stones,  and  hurled  them  at  the 
house.  "  He  shall  not  escape  from  us !  We  will  stay  here 
until  he  makes  his  appearance,  and  replies  to  our  questions!" 
they  cried.  "  If  he  do  not  come  to  us,  we  will  go  to  him  and 
compel  him  to  hear  us !" 

"  Fortunately,  you  will  not  find  him  at  home,"  whispered 
Lombard,  who  was  listening  at  the  door.  "  Every  thing  is  in 
good  order,"  he  added  in  a  low  voice.  "The  dear  enraged 
people  will  have  to  hammer  a  good  while  before  breaking 
these  bolts.  By  that  time  I  shall  be  far  from  here,  on  the 
road  to  Stettin." 

The  cabinet  counsellor  glided  away  with  a  sarcastic  smile 
to  the  back  gate.  There  stood  his  wife,  weeping  piteously 
and  wringing  her  hands. 

M.  Lombard,  who  had  hitherto  only  smiled,  now  laughed 
outright.  "  Truly,"  he  said,  "  it  is  really  worth  while  to  make 
a  scene  in  consequence  of  this  demonstration  of  the  people! 
My  dear,  I  should  think  our  family  ought  to  know  now  to 
manage  them  I  Your  father  has  shaved  those  stupid  fiends 


40  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

enough,  and  my  father  pulled  the  wool  over  their  eyes,*  and, 
as  good  children  of  our  parents,  we  ought  to  do  so  too." 

"  Oh,  Lombard,  just  listen,"  wailed  his  wife,  "  they  are 
knocking  at  the  door  with  heavy  clubs;  we  must  perish  if 
they  succeed  in  forcing  it  open  and  entering  the  house.  They 
will  assassinate  you,  for  you  have  heard  their  imprecations 
against  you." 

"  Ma  chere,"  said  Lombard,  composedly,  "  this  is  not  the 
first  time  that  I  discover  that  the  people  despise  and  persecute 
me.  I  knew  it  long  ago.  These  blockheads  will  never  for- 
give me  for  being  a  Frenchman,  and  for  having,  consequently, 
a  predilection  for  France  and  her  heroic  emperor.  And  not 
only  they,  but  the  so-called  educated  and  high-born  classes 
also,  hate  me  intensely.  Throughout  all  Europe  I  have  been 
branded  as  a  traitor  in  the  pay  of  Napoleon.  Conspiracies 
were  got  up  everywhere  to  bring  about  my  removal.  All  the 
princes  of  the  royal  house — nay,  the  queen  herself,  united 
against  me.f  But  you  see,  my  dear,  that  they  did  not  suc- 
ceed after  all  in  undermining  my  position,  and  the  howling 
rabble  outside  will  have  no  better  success.  Indeed,  the  fellows 
seem  to  be  in  earnest.  Their  blows  shake  the  whole  house!" 

"  They  will  succeed  in  breaking  in,"  said  his  wife,  anxiously; 
"and  then  they  will  assassinate  all  of  us." 

"  They  will  do  no  such  thing,  for  they  do  not  come  for 
spoils,  but  only  for  news/'  said  Lombard.  "  And  then,  my 
love,  they  know  just  as  well  as  I  the  German  maxim :  '  The 
people  of  Nuremberg  do  not  hang  anybody  unless  they  have 
got  him !'  but  they  will  not  get  me,  for  there  comes  my  faith- 
ful Jean  across  the  yard. — Well,  Jean,  is  every  thing  ready  ?" 
he  said  to  the  approaching  footman. 

"Yes,"  he  replied.  "The  carriage  with  four  excellent 
horses  is  waiting  for  you,  sir.  I  ordered  it,  however,  not  to 
stop  at  the  garden  gate,  but  a  little  farther  down,  in  front  of 
another  house." 

"  That  was  well  done,  my  sagacious  Jean.  But  I  hope  you 
did  not  forget  either  to  place  several  bottles  of  Tokay  wine 
and  some  roast  fowl  in  the  carriage  for  me  ?  The  ill-man- 
nered rabble  outside  will  not  permit  me  to-day  to  lunch  at 
home.  Hence  I  must  make  up  my  mind  to  do  so  on  the 
road." 

*  Lombard's  father  was  a  hair-dresser,  and  his  wife's  father  a  barber.  Lombard 
liked  to  jest  about  his  descent,  particularly  at  the  dinner-table  of  some  prince  or 
minister.  He  always  alluded  to  his  father  in  the  following  terms :  "  Feu  man  pire 
de  poudreuse  mtmovre!" 

t  Lombard's  own  words.— Vide  Gentz's  Diary  in  his  "  Miscellanies,"  edited  by  Q. 
Schlesier,  vol.  iv. 


QUIET  IS  THE  CITIZEN'S  FIRST   DUTY.  41 

"  I  have  not  forgotten  the  wine  nor  the  roast  pheasant, 
your  excellency." 

"You  have  packed  up  a  pheasant!"  exclaimed  Lombard. 
"  If  the  noisy  gentlemen  outside  there  knew  that,  they  would 
be  sure  to  assert  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  had  sent  it  to 
me  as  a  bribe.  Now,  Jean,  come,  we  will  set  out.  The  street 
is  quiet,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  Perfectly  so.  All  those  who  have  legs  have  gathered  in 
front  of  the  house." 

"And  all  those  who  have  fists  are  hammering  at  the  door," 
wailed  Mde.  Lombard.  "  Make  haste,  Lombard — make  haste 
lest  it  be  too  late !" 

"You  are  right.  I  must  go,"  said  Lombard,  quietly. 
"  Now  listen  to  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  So  soon  as  you 
hear  my  carriage  roll  away,  be  kind  enough  to  repair  to  the 
balcony  of  the  first  floor  and  address  the  people.  Their 
surprise  at  seeing  you  will  cause  them  to  be  silent  for  a 
moment." 

"  But,  good  Heaven !  what  am  I  to  say  to  them  ?"  asked 
Mde.  Lombard,  in  dismay. 

"  You  are  to  say  to  them,  *  My  husband,  Cabinet-Counsellor 
Lombard,  is  not  at  home.  He  has  gone  to  the  governor  of 
Berlin,  Count  von  Schulenburg-Kehnert,  and  the  bearer  of 
dispatches  has  accompanied  him.'  Your  words  will  have  the 
same  effect  as  though  a  pistol  were  discharged  among  a  num- 
ber of  sparrows — all  of  them  will  fly  away.  You  see,  my 
dear,  there  is  a  very  impressive  and  dramatic  scene  in  store 
for  you,  and  my  father,  depoudreuse  memoire,  and  your  father, 
the  barber,  would  rejoice  in  their  graves  if  they  could  see  you 
haranguing  the  people  from  the  balcony.  Farewell,  my 
dear,  and  manage  the  affair  as  skilfully  as  possible." 

He  embraced  her  hurriedly,  and  was  about  to  leave  the 
garden,  leaning  on  his  servant's  arm,  and  as  fast  as  his  gouty 
feet  would  permit  it;  but  his  wife  suddenly  held  him  back. 

"  I  cannot  go  to  the  parlor,"  she  said  in  terror,  convulsively 
clinging  to  Lombard.  "  Remember,  that  they  are  continually 
hurling  stones  at  our  house.  Suppose  a  stone  should  be 
thrown  into  the  window  and  strike  my  head?" 

"  My  dear,"  said  Lombard,  laughing,  "  I  do  not  believe  any 
stone  passing  through  the  window  would  be  immediately 
dangerous,  for  you  have  a  hard  head,  as  I  have  found  out 
often  enough.  Farewell,  and  do  as  I  have  told  you,  unless 
you  want  the  rabble  to  penetrate  into  your  room.  Farewell!" 

He  disengaged  himself  rather  roughly,  and  hastened,  as 


42  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

fast  as  his  aching  and  stiffened  feet  would  permit,  to  the 
street  contiguous  to  the  garden. 

His  wife  waited  until  the  departure  of  the  carriage  an- 
nounced to  her  that  her  husband  had  gone.  At  the  same 
time  the  voices  outside  shouted  with  redoubled  fury,  "  Lom- 
bard !  We  want  to  see  Lombard !"  And  their  blows  thun- 
dered louder  than  ever  at  the  door. 

Mde.  Lombard  sighed;  and,  commending  her  body  and 
soul  to  God,  she  proceeded  to  comply  with  her  husband's  in- 
structions, and  went  to  the  balcony. 

Lombard  had  prophesied  correctly;  profound  silence  en- 
sued when  the  wife  of  the  cabinet  counsellor  appeared; 
hence,  every  one  was  able  to  understand  her  words',  and  no 
sooner  had  she  uttered  them,  than  the  crowd  dispersed,  as 
her  husband  had  told  her. 

"To  the  governor!  Let  us  go  to  the  governor!"  they 
cried,  as  they  moved  up  the  Linden;  but  they  were  attracted 
by  a  carriage,  drawn  by  six  fiery  horses  at  full  gallop.  It 
was  the  queen,  who  was  about  to  leave  the  capital.  She 
looked  even  paler  and  sadder  than  before,  and  greeted  her 
friends  on  both  sides  with  a  heart-rending,  melancholy  smile. 
But  they  had  not  time  to  greet  even  the  queen,  or  to  be  sur- 
prised at  her  speedy  departure,  as  they  rushed  toward  the 
house  of  the  governor,  Count  Schulenburg. 

At  his  residence,  also,  the  windows  were  covered  up,  and 
the  gate  of  the  court-yard  closed.  But  a  large  white  hand- 
bill, containing  a  few  lines  in  gigantic  letters,  was  posted  on 
the  side  wall.  Thousands  of  piercing  eyes  were  fixed  on  the 
paper,  and  an  imperious  demand  was  made  to  the  fortunate 
man  who  stood  close  to  the  handbill :  "  Bead !  Bead  aloud !" 

"I  will  read  it!"  answered  a  loud,  powerful  voice.  "Be 
quiet,  so  as  to  be  able  to  hear  me !" 

Profound  silence  reigned  immediately,  and  every  one  heard 
distinctly  the  words,  which  ran  as  follows: 

"  Tlw  king  lias  lost  a  battle.  Quiet  is  the  citizen's  first 
duty.  I  request  all  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin  to  maintain 
good  order.  The  king  and  his  brothers  are  alive." 

The  vast  multitude  burst  into  a  wail  of  despair;  and  when 
silence  ensued,  every  one  seemed  paralyzed  and  stared  mourn- 
fully at  his  neighbor.  Suddenly  the  side-gate  of  the  count's 
court-yard  opened,  and  a  carriage,  followed  by  a  large  bag- 
gage-wagon, made  its  appearance. 

At  first,  the  people  timidly  stepped  back,  and  looked  on 
tfonderingly.  But  no  sooner  had  they  recognized  in  it  the 


QUIET  IS  THE  CITIZEN'S  FIRST  DUTY.  43 

governor  of  Berlin,  Count  von  Schulenburg-Kehnert — no 
sooner  had  they  discovered  that  his  carriage  contained  a  large 
number  of  trunks  and  boxes,  and  that  the  wagon  was  also 
filled  with  baggage,  and  had  satisfied  themselves  that  the 
governor  intended  to  leave  the  capital  at  this  hour  of  terror, 
than  attempts  were  made  to  prevent  him  from  setting  out. 
The  people  stopped  the  horses,  and  cried,  in  tones  of  exas- 
peration, that  it  did  not  behoove  the  governor  to  leave  the 
city  while  it  was  in  danger,  and  the  inhabitants  without  ad- 
vice and  protection. 

Count  Schulenburg  rose  in  his  carriage.  Stretching  out 
his  arms  in  an  imperious  manner,  he  demanded  silence. 
When  the  clamor  had  ceased,  he  said,  in  a  conciliatory  tone : 
"  My  friends!  duty  calls  me  hence,  for  the  orders  of  the  king 
must  be  obeyed.  But  you  shall  not  say  that  I  have  left  the 
city  of  Berlin  without  adequate  protection,  and  that  I  did 
not  devote  my  particular  attention  to  its  welfare.  I  have 
appointed  my  son-in-law,  the  Prince  von  Hatzfeld,  civil  gov- 
ernor, and  he  will  zealously  provide  for  the  security  and  in- 
terests of  the  people  of  the  capital.  Forward,  coachman  I" 

The  coachman  was  about  to  comply  with  his  master's  orders, 
but  some  of  the  crowd  still  dared  to  resist,  and  refused  to  let 
the  horses  proceed. 

"The  governor  must  stay  here!"  they  shouted;  "it  is  in- 
cumbent on  him  not  to  desert  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin,  but 
to  assist  them  in  the  hour  of  danger !" 

"  In  the  hour  of  danger  ?"  asked  the  count,  with  a  wonder- 
ing air.  "Why,  I  leave  my  whole  family  here — my  children 
and  grandchildren!  Would  I  do  so  if  the  enemy  threatened 
the  city  ?" 

No  one  could  combat  this  argument,  and  reply  to  the  gov- 
ernor's question.  The  men,  therefore,  dropped  the  reins  and 
fell  back,  when  the  coachman  whipped  the  horses  into  a 
gallop. 

They  gazed  after  the  escaping  count,  and  looked  sadly  at 
each  other,  asking  anxiously :  "  What  shall  we  do  now  ? 
What  shall  we  do  when  the  French  come  ?" 

"  We  will  meet  them  sword  in  hand  and  drive  them  back !" 
exclaimed  a  young  man,  with  a  noble  face. 

"  Yes,  we  will  do  so,"  said  another.  "  There  are  no  soldiers 
here;  hence  we  ourselves  must  look  out  for  our  own  defence. 
We  will  form  volunteer  companies,  occupy  the  gates,  and 
patrol  the  streets." 

"  Our  army  being  defeated,  a  new  one  has,  of  course,  to  be 


44  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

organized,"  said  another.  "  We  must  do  this;  we  must  hand 
in  our  names,  and  enlist.  Let  every  one  who  thinks  and 
feels  like  myself,  follow  me  to  the  new  governor.  We  will 
apply  to  him  for  permission  to  organize  ourselves  for  the  de- 
fence of  the  city.  Come  \"  Many  hastened  with  ardent  im- 
petuosity from  all  parts  of  the  crowd  to  join  him.  Others, 
seized  with  admiration  and  respect,  opened  a  passage,  through 
which  the  quickly-gathered  company  of  more  than  three 
hundred  young  men  marched  to  the  residence  of  the  Prince 
von  Hatzfeld. 

But  he  did  not  admit  the  deputation  of  these  brave  men. 
He  sent  word  to  them,  by  his  adjutant,  that  they  would  re- 
ceive his  definite  reply  at  a  later  hour.  At  present  he  wished 
them  to  go  home,  and  avoid,  above  all,  any  riotous  proceed- 
ings in  the  streets. 

The  reply  which  the  Prince  von  Hatzfeld  had  promised  to 
the  deputation  soon  appeared  on  handbills  posted  at  all  the 
street  corners.  It  was  as  follows :  "  It  would  be  improper 
to  conceal  from  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin  that  French  troops 
may  shortly  occupy  the  capital.  This  unexpected  event 
cannot  fail  to  produce  a  most  painful  impression  among  all 
classes.  Only  the  most  implicit  confidence  in  those  who  take 
upon  themselves  the  arduous  task  of  alleviating  the  inevitable 
consequences  of  snch  an  event,  as  well  as  of  maintaining  or- 
der, which  has  become  more  desirable  than  ever,  will  be  able 
to  avert  the  terrible  fate  which  the  slightest  resistance,  or  any 
disorderly  conduct,  would  bring  upon  the  city.  The  course 
recently  pursued  by  the  inhabitants  of  Vienna,  under  similar 
distressing  circumstances,  must  have  taught  those  of  Berlin 
that  the  conqueror  only  respects  quiet  and  manly  resigna- 
tion after  such  a  defeat.  Hence  I  forbid  all  gatherings  and 
clamor  in  the  streets,  as  well  as  any  public  manifestation  of 
sympathy  in  relation  to  the  rumors  from  the  seat  of  war. 
For  quiet  submission  is  our  first  duty;  we  should  only  think 
of  what  is  going  on  within  our  own  walls;  it  is  the  highest 
interest  to  which  we  ought  to  devote  our  whole  attention." 


FAITHFUL  PEOPLE  OF  STETTIJN.  45 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    FAITHFUL     PEOPLE    OF    STETTIN. 

THE  hope  of  the  queen  had  not  been  fulfilled.  Her  chil- 
dren had  left  Stettin  an  hour  before  she  reached  the  city. 

"  I  shall  immediately  continue  my  journey/'  said  she,  reso- 
lutely. 

"  Your  majesty,  I  beseech  you  to  remain  here,"  said  Madame 
von  Berg.  "  You  have  scarcely  had  any  sleep  for  the  last 
three  nights;  last  night  you  did  not  leave  the  carriage  at  all, 
and  hardly  took  any  food.  Oh,  think  of  the  king,  of  your 
children,  and  economize  your  strength!  Take  some  rest." 

"Rest!"  repeated  the  queen,  with  a  melancholy  smile. 
"  There  will  be,  perhaps,  no  more  rest  for  me  on  earth !  My 
heart  is  filled  with  grief — how,  then,  can  I  sleep  ?  But  you 
have  reminded  me  of  my  husband,  of  my  children,  and  you 
are  right;  I  must  live  for  them.  Therefore,  I  will  stop  here 
for  an  hour  and  take  some  refreshment,  in  order  not  to  give 
way  under  the  heavy  burden  weighing  down  my  mind. 
Come,  we  will  alight  and  go  into  the  house." 

Madame  von  Berg  made  a  sign  to  the  footman  to  open  the 
coach  door,  and  followed  Louisa  into  the  royal  villa,  to  the 
rooms  usually  occupied  by  their  majesties  during  their  visits 
to  Stettin.  "  When  I  was  last  in  this  room,"  whispered  the 
queen,  "  the  king  and  the  crown  prince  were  with  me.  There 
was  nothing  but  joy  in  my  heart.  I  was  a  happy  wife,  a 
happy  mother,  and  a  happy  queen !  And,  to-day,  what  am 
I?  She  heaved  a  profound  sigh,  and,  sinking  down  on  the 
sofa,  pressed  her  face  upon  the  cushions.  "  Into  what  an 
abyss  I  have  been  hurled  from  my  heaven!"  she  murmured 
in  a  low  voice.  "  Once  a  happy  sovereign — now  a  poor,  flee- 
ing woman,  who  can  excite  only  pity.  Oh,  mother,  mother, 
God  be  praised  that  you  do  not  behold  my  distress!"  She 
clasped  her  hands,  and  her  trembling  lips  whispered  prayers 
to  heaven.  Her  large  blue  eyes  were  raised  with  an  expres- 
sion of  fervent  supplication,  and  tears  rolled  like  pearls  over 
her  cheeks.  She  sat  a  long  while  pondering  over  her  misfor- 
tunes, and  shuddering  at  the  prospects  of  the  future. 
C — MUHLBACII  VOL.  10 


46  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

Finally,  Madame  von  Berg  ventured  to  approach  and  arouse 
her  from  her  meditation. 

"  Your  majesty,"  she  said,  in  an  imploring  voice,  "  you 
promised  to  take  rest,  for  the  sake  of  the  king  and  of  your 
children.  Remember  the  burden  of  care  weighing  down  the 
heart  of  his  majesty.  Remember  that  his  grief  would  be 
more  intense  if  he  should  see  your  eyes  reddened  with  weep- 
ing, and  find  you  prostrated  in  your  distress." 

"  He  shall  not  see  it,"  said  Lousia.  "  In  his  presence  I  will 
conceal  my  tears,  and  seem  hopeful  and  courageous.  Let 
me,  therefore,  now  at  least,  pour  out  my  overwhelming  sor- 
row, for  tears  are  the  only  consolation  of  the  afflicted.  When 
I  am  with  my  husband  once  more,  I  shall  try  to  smile,  and 
only  weep  in  secret.  Are  you  now  satisfied,  my  faithful 
friend  ?" 

"  Your  majesty  had  graciously  promised  me  to  take  some 
refreshment,  but  the  footman  has  long  since  announced  that 
dinner  is  ready/' 

"  Come,  Caroline,  we  will  eat,"  said  the  queen,  rising  has- 
tily, and  laying  her  hand  on  her  friend's  shoulder. 

She  kept  her  word,  and  did  eat  a  little,  trying  to  become 
more  cheerful  by  conversing  with  Madame  von  Berg  about 
her  children  and  her  approaching  reunion  with  her  hus- 
band. 

"  Believe  me,  Caroline,"  she  then  said  gravely,  "  it  is  not 
vanity  and  longing  for  worldly  splendor  that  causes  me  to 
bewail  our  present  trouble.  For  my  part,  I  would  gladly  lead 
a  private  life,  and  be  contented  in  retirement  and  obscurity, 
if  I  could  only  see  my  husband  and  my  children  happy  at 
my  side.  But  the  king  is  not  allowed  to  be  as  other  men 
are — merely  a  husband  and  father;  he  must  think  of  his 
people,  of  his  state,  and  of  his  royal  duties.  He  is  not  at 
liberty  to  lay  down  his  crown  any  more  than  we  to  destroy 
voluntarily  the  life  we  have  received  from  God.  '  With  it  or 
on  it/  said  the  heroic  mothers  of  Sparta  to  their  sons,  when 
delivering  to  them  the  shield  with  which  they  went  into  battle. 
And  thus  the  king's  ancestors,  who  have  bequeathed  the  crown 
to  him,  call  from  their  graves:  '  With  it,  or  buried  under  it!' 
It  is  the  inheritance  of  his  fathers,  which  he  must  leave  to 
his  children;  he  must  fight  for  it,  and  either  triumph  or  per- 
ish with  it.  That  is  the  reason  why  I  weep,  and  see  nothing 
but  years  of  disaster  and  bloodshed  in  store  for  me.  Prussia 
must  not  make  peace  with  Napoleon;  she  must  not,  in  hypo- 
critical friendship,  give  her  hand  to  him  who  is  her-  mortal 


THE  FAITHFUL  PEOPLE  OF  STETTIN.  47 

enemy.  She  must  remain  faithful  to  the  alliance  which  her 
king  has  sworn  on  the  coffin  of  Frederick  the  Great  to  main- 
tain; and  France  will  resent  this  constancy  as  though  it  were 
a  crime.  But,  in  spite  of  her  anger,  we  must  not  recede;  we 
must  advance  on  our  path  if  we  do  not  wish  to  lose  also  our 
honor,  and  if  history  is  not  to  mention  the  name  of  Frederick 
William  III.  in  terms  of  reproach.  Germany  hopes  that 
Prussia  will  save  her — the  whole  of  Europe  expects  us  to  do 
our  duty  to  the  fatherland,  and  this  duty  is  to  wage  war 
against  the  tyrant  who  wants  to  subjugate  Germany,  and 
transform  her  into  a  French  province — to  resist  him  as  long 
as  we  have  an  inch  of  territory  or  a  drop  of  blood  in  our 
veins!  See,  my  friends,  such  are  the  thoughts  that  move  my 
heart  so  profoundly,  and  cause  me  to  weep.  I  clearly  foresee 
the  great  misfortunes  that  will  crush  us  in  case  we  should 
proceed  on  the  path  which  we  have  entered,  but  I  am  not 
allowed  to  wish  that  Prussia  should  turn  back,  for  we  may  be 
permitted  to  be  unfortunate,  but  never  to  act  dishonorably. 
And  I  know  these  to  be  the  king's  views,  too — he — but  hark, 
what  is  that  ?''  she  interrupted  herself.  "  Did  it  not  sound 
as  if  a  noisy  crowd  were  approaching?  The  tumult  draws 
nearer  and  nearer!  If  they  are  French  soldiers,  I  am  lost!" 
She  rushed  to  the  window,  and  looked  anxiously  down  on  the 
street.  A  vast  multitude  approached,  yelling  with  rage,  and 
threatening  with  their  hands  a  pale,  trembling  man  walking 
between  two  others  who  had  seized  him,  and  whose  eyes 
closely  watched  every  motion  he  made.  That  man  was  Cab- 
inet-Counsellor Lombard,  who,  on  his  escape  from  Berlin,  had 
safely  reached  Stettin. 

Just  as  he  was  about  entering  his  carriage,  in  order  tu  leave 
the  latter  city,  a  few  of  the  bystanders  recognized  and  de- 
tained him.  Those  who  were  in  the  streets  soon  gathered 
around  and  curiously  looked  on  during  his  altercation  with 
the  men  who  had  stopped  him. 

Suddenly  one  of  them  turned  to  the  crowd  and  exclaimed 
in  a  loud  voice:  "Do  not  permit  this  fellow  to  depart.  It 
is  Lombard,  the  Frenchman,  the  traitor;  he  has  assuredly 
come  to  Stettin  in  order  to  prevent  the  queen  from  continu- 
ing her  journey,  or  to  inform  the  enemy  whither  she  is  going. 
Let  ns  arrest  him,  that  he  may  not  betray  her !" 

"Yes,  yes,  arrest  him;  do  not  release  him  until  long  after 
the  queen's  departure,"  cried  the  people.  Threatening  men 
surrounded  the  traitor  on  all  sides,  and  anxiously  scanned 
his  pale,  cowardly  face. 


48  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Let  me  go,  kind  friends,  let  me  go !"  begged  Lombard, 
and  now  all  his  arrogance  and  haughtiness  had  disappeared. 
"  You  do  me  the  greatest  injustice;  I  am  a  faithful  servant 
of  the  king,  and  have  come  to  Stettin  in  order  to  wait  on 
her  majesty,  and  to  offer  my  services  to  her." 

"  He  lies !  he  lies  I"  said  those  who  had  recognized  him. 
"  Let  us  go  with  him  to  the  royal  villa;  the  queen  is  there. 
If  she  wants  to  see  him,  she  will  order  him  to  be  admitted; 
if  not,  he  shall  witness  her  departure." 

"  Yes,  he  shall  witness  her  departure,"  exclaimed  the  rest 
approvingly;  "let  us  go  to  the  royal  villa  !" 

Dragged,  pushed,  and  carried  along,  Lombard  arrived, 
followed  by  thousands,  at  the  royal  residence,  which  was 
situated  at  the  lower  end  of  Broad  Street,  near  the  parade- 
grounds. 

The  carriage  and  horses  stood  in  front  of  the  house,  and 
every  thing  was  ready  for  the  queen's  departure.  But  Louisa 
was  still  at  the  window,  and  looked  from  behind  the  curtains 
down  on  the  vast  mass  which  filled  the  vvhole  street.  Sud- 
denly she  uttered  a  low  cry;  and  hastily  placing  her  hand  on 
her  friend's  shoulder,  she  pointed  to  the  street.  "  Look," 
she  whispered,  trembling,  "look  !  there  is  the  evil  demon 
who  has  done  so  much  to  bring  about  the  present  calamities 
of  our  country;  it  is  Lombard,  my  most  dangerous,  nay,  I 
must  say,  my  only  enemy  !  He  hates  me,  because  he  knows 
that  I  distrusted  him,  and  asked  the  king  for  his  dismission. 
He  has  dealt  treacherously  with  Prussia — I  know  and  feel  it, 
and  felt  convinced  of  it  long  before  this  time.  The  presence 
of  this  man  proves  that  some  new  calamity  is  menacing  me, 
for  he  is  plotting  my  ruin.  I  wonder  what  brought  him 
here  ?  " 

"  Let  me  go  ! "  cried  Lombard  just  then,  in  a  loud  and 
ringing  voice.  "  Let  me  go  !  I  will  and  must  see  the  queen !" 

"  See  me  ?"  said  Lousia,  in  terror.  "  No,  I  will  not  see 
him;  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  him." 

In  her  excitement,  and  anxious  to  see  what  would  occur, 
she  came  forth  from  behind  the  curtain,  and  appeared  in  full 
view  at  the  window.  The  people  greeted  her  with  loud 
cheers,  and  then  turned  their  eyes  again  toward  Lombard. 
He  had  also  seen  her,  and  now  raised  his  hands  in  a  suppliant 
manner,  saying:  "Oh,  I  beseech  your  majesty,  call  me  up  to 
your  room  !  I  have  come  to  offer  my  services  and  to  com- 
municate important  news.  Grant  me  an  audience  !" 

But  she  did  not  stir;  she  had  apparently  not  heard    his 


THE  FAITHFUL  PEOPLE  OF  STETTIN.  49 

words,  and  her  eyes,  usually  so  gentle,  now  looked  gloomy 
and  angry. 

"  The  queen  does  not  call  him  !"  exclaimed  hundreds  of 
voices  on  the  street.  "  She  does  not  want  to  have  any  thing 
to  do  with  him  !  He  is  a  traitor." 

"  What  have  I  done,  then,  kind  friends,  that  you  should 
call  me  a  traitor  ?"  asked  Lombard.  "  IStute  the  crimes  you 
charge  me  with,  so  that  I  may  justify  myself  !" 

"  We  will  state  them  to  you  !"  said  the  men  who  hud  de- 
tained him  and  who  were  wealthy  and  highly-esteemed  mer- 
chants of  Stettin. 

"  Yes,  yes,  Mr.  Grunert,  and  Mr.  Pufahl,  state  his  crimes 
to  him,  and  prove  to  him  that  he  is  a  traitor  !*' 

"  We  will;  be  quiet  and  listen!"  replied  Mr.  Grunert. 

"  The  people  are  going  to  sit  in  solemn  judgment  over 
him,"  whispered  the  queen ;  "  they  will  ferret  out  his  crimes 
and  punish  him  for  them  ! " 

Breathless  silence  reigned  now.  A  chair  was  brought  from 
one  of  the  adjoining  houses,  and  Lombard  compelled  to 
mount  on  it,  so  that  every  one  might  be  able  to  see  him.  Jt 
was  a  strange  sight,  that  of  his  tottering,  feeble  form,  with  a 
pale  and  terror-stricken  face,  rising  above  the  crowd,  whose 
eyes  were  all  turned  toward  him,  and  who  cast  glances  like 
daggers  at  him. 

"  He  is  a  traitor,  and  I  will  prove  it  to  him,"  repeated  Mr. 
Grunert,  closely  approaching  Lombard.  "In  1S03,  when  the 
king  sent  him  to  Brussels  to  negotiate  with  Bonaparte,  about 
an  honorable  peace  between  Prussia  and  France,  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  bribed.  He  exercised  an  influence  humiliating 
and  disadvantageous  to  us;  but  Bonaparte  bribed  him  by 
paying  him  the  sum  of  six  thousand  Napoleons  cTor.  Deny 
it  if  you  can  !" 

"I  deny  it,"  replied  Lombard.  "It  is  true,  I  suffered  my- 
self to  be  duped  by  that  monster  for  a  moment.  When  I  saw 
Bonaparte  in  1803  in  Brussels,  he  managed  to  inspire  me 
with  confidence  in  his  magnanimity  and  greatness  of  char- 
acter. But  the  deception  did  not  last  long,  and  soon  I  per- 
ceived that  this  incarnate  fiend  would  not  stop  in  his  career 
until  he  had  destroyed  all  existing  thrones  and  states.*  But 
I  deny  ever  having  received  money  from  him — I  deny  ever 
having  accepted  any  presents  from  him.  And  the  best 
proof  of  it  is  that  I  have  not  any  property  whatever,  but  I 
am  as  poor  as  a  church  mouse.  My  wife  has  scarcely  a 

'Lombard's  own  words.— Vide  OenU's  " Miscellanies,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  194. 


50  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

decent  parlor  for  the  reception  of  her  friends;  and  as  for 
myself,  a  plain  arm-chair  and  a  tobacco-pipe  were  always  the 
goal  of  my  wishes." 

"  You  are  poor,  because  you  squander  at  the  gaming-table 
and  in  secret  orgies  what  you  obtain  by  your  intrigues/'  said 
Grunert,  sternly.  "  Your  poverty  does  not  absolve  you,  for 
it  is  the  direct  consequence  of  your  dissipated  life.  You  are 
a  traitor.  It  was  owing  to  your  machinations  in  the  interest 
of  Napoleon  that  our  army,  last  year,  when  it  ought  to  have 
taken  the  field  with  the  Austrian  and  Russian  forces  against 
France,  was  placed  so  late  on  the  war-footing,  and  finally 
returned  to  its  garrisons  without  having  drawn  the  sword. 
You  are  to  blame  for  the  disgraceful  treaty  of  Vienna,  for 
Count  Haugwitz  is  merely  a  tool  in  your  hands.  You  rule 
over  him.  You  laughed  and  rejoiced  when  the  treaty  of 
Vienna  had  been  concluded,  for  you  are  a  descendant  of  the 
French  colony  of  Berlin,  and  you  have  no  heart  for  the  honor 
of  Germany  and  Prussia/' 

"  He  is  a  traitor  ! "  cried  the  people;  "do  not  let  him  go  ! 
Detain  him  !  He  shall  not  betray  the  queen  ! " 

The  crowd  approached  Lombard  in  the  most  menacing  man- 
ner, and  were  about  to  drag  him  from  his  chair,  but  Grunert 
and  Pufahl  warded  them  off,  and  protected  him  with  their 
broad  and  vigorous  bodies. 

"  You  do  not  yet  know  all  he  has  done,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Pufahl,  in  a  powerful  voice.  "  I  will  tell  you  about  the  last 
and  most  infamous  instance  of  his  treachery.  It  is  his  fault 
that  we  lost  the  battle  of  Jena — his  fault  alone." 

"  What  am  I  to  hear  ?"  whispered  Louisa. 

Perfectly  beside  herself,  she  approached  closer  to  the 
window,  and  listened  in  breathless  suspense  to  every  word 
that  was  uttered. 

"  Well,  let  me  tell  you  what  Lombard  has  done,"  added 
Mr.  Pufahl.  "In  the  middle  of  last  month  our  king  sent 
Lieutenant-Colonel  von  Krusemark  with  an  autograph  letter 
to  St.  Petersburg,  in  which  he  informed  the  czar  that  he  in- 
tended to  declare  war  against  France,  and  requested  the 
latter  to  send  him  the  assistance  that  had  been  agreed  upon 
between  them.  Lieutenant-Colonel  von  Krusemark  was^ac- 
companied  by  a  single  footman  only,  whom  he  had  taken  into 
his  service  for  this  special  purpose,  and  who  had  been  warmly 
recommended  to  him.  During  the  whole  journey  the  colonel 
kept  the  dispatches  on  his  bare  breast.  It  was  only  when  he 
had  arrived  at  St.  Petersburg  that  he  laid  them  for  a  little 


THE  FAITHFUL  PEOPLE  OF  STETTIN.  51 

while  upon  the  table,  in  order  to  change  his  dress,  and  deliver 
them  immediately  to  the  czar.  The  servant  was  engaged  in 
arranging  his  clothes.  M.  von  Krusemark  went  for  a  minute 
into  an  adjoining  room,  and  when  he  returned,  the  footman 
had  disappeared  with  the  dispatches.  All  the  efforts  made 
by  Krusemark  and  the  police  to  recover  the  important  papers 
were  fruitless.  They  found  neither  them  nor  the  servant. 
Krusemark,  therefore,  had  to  send  a  courier  to  Berlin,  and 
ask  for  new  instructions.  This  caused  a  delay  of  several 
weeks,  in  consequence  of  which  the  Russian  army  was  unable 
to  be  here  in  time  to  join  our  troops  and  assist  them  in  at- 
tacking the  French.  We  would  not  have  lost  the  battle  of 
Jena,  if  the  king's  dispatches  had  been  delivered  to  the  Em- 
peror of  Russia  at  an  earlier  moment,  and  if  his  army  had  set 
out  in  time  for  the  seat  of  war.  We  would  not  have  lost  the 
battle,  if  the  dispatches  had  not  been  stolen.  Now  listen  to 
what  I  am  going  to  tell  you:  That  footman  had  been  recom- 
mended by  Lombard  to  Lieutenant -Colonel  von  Krusemark, 
and  w as  a  near  relative  of  the  former!" 

"  He  is  a  traitor  !"  cried  the  people,  "  it  is  his  fault  that 
we  lost  the  battle  of  Jena  !  But  he  shall  atone  for  it  ! 
Woe  to  the  traitor  !" 

"  Oh,  your  majesty !"  exclaimed  Madame  von  Berg,  in  terror, 
"just  see  !  the  furious  men  "are  dragging  him  from  his  chair. 
They  will  assassinate  him.  Have  mercy  on  him  and  save  his 
life  !" 

"Yes,"  said  the  queen,  stepping  back  from  the  window, 
"yes,  I  will  protect  him,  but  I  will  also  protect  myself." 

And  hurrying  across  the  apartment,  she  opened  the  door 
of  the  anteroom,  where  the  major  of  the  garrison  of  Stettin 
and  a  few  staff-officers  were  assembled. 

"  Major,"  said  she,  in  a  commanding  voice,  "  hasten  down- 
stairs, and  arrest  Cabinet-Counsellor  Lombard.  Take  him  to 
the  guard-house,  where  you  will  detain  him  until  the  king 
sends  you  further  orders.  I  will  report  in  person  to  his 
majesty  what  I  commanded  you  to  do." 

It  was  high  time  to  interfere,  in  order  to  save  Lombard's 
life.  The  enraged  people  had  already  thrown  him  down, 
and,  regardless  of  the  supplications  of  the  two  merchants, 
commenced  belaboring  him  unmercifully,  when  the  major 
appeared  with  a  few  soldiers  and  police  officers. 

"  Order  !  order  !"  he  called  in  a  loud  voice.  "  Order,  in  the 
name  of  the  queen  !" 

The   noise   immediately  died  away;   and  those  who   had 


52  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

already  seized  Lombard  turned  around  and  stepped  respect- 
fully aside  to  let  the  major  pass. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  queen,"  he  repeated,  placing  his  hand 
on  Lombard's  shoulder,  and  assisting  him  to  rise,  "  I  arrest 
you,  Cabinet-Counsellor  Lombard  !  You  will  accompany 
me  to  the  guard-house." 

But  Lombard,  unable  to  stand,  had  sunk  down  on  the 
chair,  half  dead  with  terror. 

"  You  see,  sir,  I  am  unable  to  accompany  you/'  he  groaned, 
faintly,  "  I  cannot  walk." 

"My  soldiers  will  carry  you,  then,"  said  the  major;  mak- 
ing a  sign  to  them,  he  added,  "  Take  the  prisoner  in  your 
arms,  and  carry  him  to  the  guard-house." 

Amid  the  loud  applause  of  the  crowd  the  order  was  im- 
mediately obeyed.  The  soldiers  seized  Lombard,  and  started 
off  with  him.  A  large  number  followed,  laughing  and  de- 
riding him,  and  congratulating  each  other  that  their  queen 
would  now  be  able  to  continue  her  journey  uninterruptedly, 
as  the  traitor  had  been  arrested. 

After  reaching  the  guard-house,  M.  Lombard  was  locked 
up  in  one  of  the  common  cells,  but  the  major  dared  not 
condemn  the  influential  and  powerful  friend  of  Minister 
von  Haugwitz  to  lie  on  the  hard  bench  of  the  criminals,  and 
to  eat  the  ordinary  prisoner's  fare.  He,  therefore,  sent  to 
the  first  hotel  in  Stettin,  and  requested  the  landlord  to 
furnish  Lombard  with  bedding  and  food,  and  to  send  both 
immediately.  But  the  soldiers  returned  without  having 
obtained  either  one  or  the  other. 

"  Well,  will  the  landlord  send  the  articles  ?"  asked  the  major. 

"No,  sir,"  was  the  reply;  "the  landlord  declined  doing 
so.  He  said,  he  would  not  furnish  a  traitor  with  any  thing, 
no  matter  what  price  he  offered  him." 

The  major  tried  in  vain  to  look  angry.  The  reply  pleased 
him  just  as  much  as  the  chastisement  inflicted  on  Lombard 
by  the  people  had  pleased  him  previously. 

"Then  go  to  another  landlord,"  he  said,  "and  make  the 
same  request  of  him.  If  he  should  also  decline  complying 
with  it,  go  to  a  third.  In  short,  go  and  find  a  landlord  who 
is  willing  to  send  bedding  and  food  to  Cabinet-Counsellor 
Lombard." 

The  people,  who  had  gathered  in  front  of  the  guard-house, 
heard  the  words  of  the  soldiers  as  well  as  the  renewed  order 
of  the  major,  and  accompanied  them  to  find  a  landlord  will- 
ing to  furnish  bedding  and  food  for  the  traitor. 


THE  FAITHFUL  PEOPLE  OF  STETTIN.  53 

An  hour  elapsed  before  they  returned,  still  accompanied 
by  the  crowd,  whose  numbers  had  vastly  increased.  The 
major  was  in  Lombard's  cell,  arid  had  left  orders  for  the 
soldiers  to  report  to  him  there,  lie  anticipated,  perhaps,  the 
answer  they  would  bring  back  to  him,  and  wished  the  prisoner 
to  hear  it. 

He  who  had  hitherto  sat  at  tables  laden  with  delicacies  and 
slept  only  on  silken  beds — the  epicurean  and  sensual  spend- 
thrift— lay  on  the  hard  wooden  bench,  groaning  with  pain 
and  terror,  when  the  soldiers  entered  his  cell.  The  major 
stood  at  the  window,  and  drummed  on  the  panes. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  do  you  at  length  come,  and  bring  bedding 
and  food  for  M.  Lombard  ?  But  why  did  you  tarry  so  long, 
you  lazy  fellows?  Did  you  not  know  that  until  your  return 
he  would  have  to  lie  on  the  bench  here  like  a  common  felon  ?  " 

"  We  could  not  return  at  an  earlier  time,  sir,"  replied  they. 
"  We  have  gone  from  hotel  to  hotel;  we  have  informed  all 
the  landlords  in  Stettin  of  your  orders,  and  requested  them 
to  furnish  Cabinet-Counsellor  Lombard  with  bedding  and 
food.  But  all  of  them  made  the  same  reply — all  of  them 
answered :  '  Tell  the  major  that  I  shall  not  comply  with  his 
orders.  I  will  not  furnish  a  traitor  with  any  thing!"' 

"  Oh  I"  groaned  Lombard;  "  then  they  want  me  to  die  with 
my  sick,  bruised  body  on  the  hard  boards  here!" 

"  No  1  exclaimed  the  major,  "  I  will  obtain  another  couch 
for  you.  I  will  immediately  go  to  the  governor  and  procure 
an  order  from  him  that  will  compel  the  hotel-keepers  to  fur- 
nish you  with  the  necessary  articles." 

Half  an  hour  afterward  he  returned  to  Lombard,  who  had 
meanwhile  vainly  tried  to  sleep. 

"  Now,  sir,"  said  the  major,  "  your  wishes  will  soon  be  ful- 
filled. The  governor  has  ordered  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel 
Zum  Kronprlnzen,  under  pain  of  severe  punishment,  to  fur- 
nish you  with  all  necessaries,  arid  I  have  sent  some  of  my 
men  to  him  with  this  written  order.  They  will  doubtless 
speedily  return." 

A  few  minutes  later,  in  fact,  the  door  opened,  and  the  sol- 
diers carried  a  bed  into  the  cell;  two  others  followed  with 
smoking  dishes. 

"  Well,"  said  the  major,  "  then  the  landlord  of  the  hotel 
that  I  sent  you  to  has  no  longer  refused  to  give  you  the  re- 
quired articles?  The  governor's  order  had  a  good  effect." 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  had  a  good  effect.  But  the  proprietor  of  the 
hotel  Zum  Kronprinzen  sends  word  to  you,  that  inasmuch  as 


54  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  governor  had  issued  so  stringent  an  order,  nothing  re- 
mained for  him  but  to  obey;  but  as  soon  as  he  should  be 
compelled  no  longer  to  furnish  M.  Lombard  with  any  thing, 
he  would  smash  the  dishes  and  plates  from  which  the  cabinet 
counsellor  had  eaten,  and  burn  the  bedding  on  which  he  had 
slept." 

M.  Lombard  had  apparently  not  heard  these  mortifying 
words.  Assisted  by  his  footman,  who  had  been  sent  lor,  he 
hastily  rose,  and  sat  down  at  the  table  to  dinner. 

In  the  evening  the  major  repaired  with  a  few  officers  to 
the  hotel,  and  inquired  for  the  landord. 

He  came  in,  somewhat  confused,  and  convinced  that  the 
major  would  censure  him  for  his  conduct.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, went  to  meet  him,  and,  with  a  kindly  smile,  offered  him 
his  hand.  "  Sir,"  he  said,  "  these  gentlemen  and  I  have  taken 
it  upon  ourselves  to  express  to  you,  in  the  name  of  all  our 
comrades,  our  delight  at  the  brave  and  manly  reply  you  made 
to-day,  when  compelled  to  furnish  Lombard,  the  traitor,  with 
food  and  bedding.  The  officers  of  the  garrison  have  resolved 
to  board  with  you,  for  we  deem  it  an  honor  to  be  the  guests 
of  so  patriotic  a  man." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE     QUEEN'S     FLIGHT. 

LOUISA  waited  till  Lombard  had  been  carried  away  amid 
the  jeers  of  the  people;  then,  accompanied  by  her  friend,  she 
hastened  down-stairs  in  order  to  continue  her  journey.  Many 
persons  were  still  assembled  in  the  street,  who,  instead  of  fol- 
lowing Lombard,  had  preferred  to  see  the  queen  once  more. 
They  received  her  with  enthusiastic  cheers,  and  heartily 
wished  her  a  safe  journey. 

"  Give  our  best  wishes  to  our  king,  and  tell  him  that  we  will 
be  faithful  to  him  as  long  as  we  live  I"  exclaimed  a  voice  from 
the  crowd. 

"We  thank  the  queen  for  ordering  the  traitor  to  be  ar- 
rested \"  exclaimed  another.  "  Now  we  need  not  have  any 
fears  for  her,  and  know  that  she  is  able  to  continue  her  jour- 
ney without  incurring  any  danger  whatever." 

Louisa  greeted  her  subjects  smilingly,  and  lowered  the 
windows  of  the  carriage  for  the  purpose  of  returning  their 
salutations,  and  of  being  seen  by  them. 


THE  QUEEN'S  FLIGHT.  55 

"  Yes/'  she  said,  when  the  carriage  rolled  through  the  gate 
into  the  high-road,  "  yes,  I  hope  the  prophecy  of  these  good 
men  will  be  fulfilled,  and  that  I  shall  safely  reach  my  destina- 
tion. Now  that  Lombard  has  been  arrested,  1  am  satisfied  of 
it,  for  he  had  followed  me  in-  order  to  inform  the  enemy  of 
my  whereabouts;  I  feel  convinced  of  it.  But  the  judgment 
of  Heaven  has  overtaken  him,  and  he  has  received  his  pun- 
ishment. Oh,  how  dreadful  it  must  be  to  stand  before  the 
people  with  so  bad  a  conscience,  so  pale  and  cowardly  a  face, 
and  to  be  accused  by  them !  We  are  able  to  bear  up  under 
the  greatest  afflictions  when  our  soul  is  free  from  guilt! 
And  therefore  I  will  meet  the  future  courageously  and  pa- 
tiently, hoping  that  God  will  have  mercy  on  us.  Hence- 
forth there  will  be  but  one  duty  for  me,  and  that  is,  to  be  a 
faithful  mother,  and  a  comforter  to  my  husband  in  his  mis- 
fortunes. Oh,  Caroline,  my  heart,  which  was  lately,  as  it  were, 
frozen  and  dead,  is  reawakening  now — it  is  living  and  throb- 
bing with  joy,  for  I  shall  see  my  husband  and  my  children! 
If  all  should  forsake  us,  love  will  remain  with  us,  and  he 
whose  heart  is  full  of  love  will  not  be  forsaken  by  the  Lord/' 

She  leaned  back  and  closed  her  eyes.  Profound  peace  was 
depicted  on  her  handsome  face;  her  brow  was  calm  and 
cloudless,  and  a  sweet  smile  played  on  her  lips.  Grief  had 
not  yet  marked  this  noble  and  youthful  countenance  with  its 
mournful  yet  eloquent  traces,  and  its  handwriting  was  not 
yet  to  be  read  on  her  expansive  forehead. 

"  Oh,"  whispered  her  friend  to  herself,  contemplating  the 
beautiful  slumbering  queen,  "  oh,  that  grief  might  pass  away 
from  her  like  a  dark  cloud — that  no  thunderbolt  burst  forth 
from  it  and  strike  that  beloved  head !  But  I  am  afraid  the 
lightning  will  at  last  blight  all  the  blossoms  of  her  heart. 
O  God,  give  her  strength,  nerve  her  in  her  sufferings,  as  Thou 
hast  blessed  her  in  her  happiness!  She  is  sleeping;  let  her 
slumber  be  peaceful  and  refreshing,  so  that  it  may  invigorate 
her  mind !"  Madame  von  Berg  leaned  cautiously,  in  order 
not  to  disturb  the  queen,  into  the  other  corner  of  the  carriage, 
which  rapidly  drove  along  the  high-road. 

The  journey  was  continued  uninterruptedly  from  station 
to  station ;  in  every  town  and  village  the  people,  as  soon  they 
had  recognized  her,  hastened  to  procure  fresh  horses  for  her, 
and  crowds  gathered  everywhere  to  cheer  her  on  her  way. 
She  had  already  passed  through  Frankfort,  and  stopped  in 
the  village  of  Rettwein  in  front  of  the  superintendent's  house. 
The  footman  entered  and  asked  in  her  name  for  another  set 


56  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

of  horses.  The  superintendent  looked  at  him  uneasily  and 
gloomily.  "  I  will  get  them  directly/'  he  said ;  "  I  will  go 
myself  to  the  stable  and  harness  them,  in  order  not  to  detain 
the  queen  unnecessarily."  He  left  the  house  hastily,  and  the 
footman  returned  to  the  carriage. 

Louisa  had  risen  and  contemplated  with  a  melancholy  air 
the  deserted  landscape.  For  the  first  time  since  the  begin- 
ning of  her  journey  she  was  not  welcomed  on  her  arrival. 
Nobody  seemed  to  know  or  care  that  it  was  the  queen  who 
was  seated  in  tbe  carriage.  Only  a  few  tow-headed  peasants' 
children,  in  ragged,  dirty  dresses,  rushed  toward  the  superin- 
tendent's house  and  stared  at  her,  without  saluting  or  thank- 
ing her  for  her  kindly  nods. 

"  We  shall  frequently  ride  out  of  the  gate,  but  no  drums 
will  be  beaten,"  murmured  she,  with  a  faint  smile,  and  sank 
back  on  the  cushions. 

Time  passed,  and  no  horses  made  their  appearance.  The 
queen  glanced  uneasily  at  her  watch.  "  We  have  been  here 
nearly  an  hour,"  she  said;  "this  long  delay  renders  me  un- 
easy." 

She  rose  once  more  and  looked  again  out  of  the  coach  win- 
dow. The  same  silence  prevailed.  The  children  were  still 
in  front  of  the  house,  with  their  fingers  in  their  mouths  star- 
ing at  the  carriage.  At  a  distance  the  dull  lowing  of  the  cows 
in  their  stables  and  the  barking  of  dogs  were  to  be  heard. 
No  human  being,  except  the  few  children,  was  to  be  seen; 
even  the  superintendent  did  not  make  his  appearance,although 
he  knew  that  the  queen  was  waiting  at  his  door.  Just  then, 
however,  a  laborer,  in  a  long  blouse,  with  heavy  wooden  shoes, 
came  out  of  the  house  and  remained  at  the  door,  staring  with 
his  small  blue  eyes  at  the  royal  carriage. 

"I  do  not  know  why,"  murmured  Louisa,  uneasily,  "but 
this  silence  frightens  me;  it  fills  my  heart  with  a  feeling  of 
anxiety  which  I  cannot  well  explain.  It  seems  to  me  as 
though  every  thing  around  me  were  breathing  treachery  and 
mischief,  and  some  great  danger  were  menacing  me.  Let  us 
get  out — we  must  leave  this  place.  Why  do  not  the  horses 
come  ?" 

"  Will  your  majesty  permit  me  to  call  the  footman,  and  ask 
him  to  hurry  up  the  postilion  ?"  said  Madame  von  Berg, 
leaning  out  of  the  window. 

"  Tell  them  to  make  haste,"  she  said  to  the  approaching 
footman.  "  Her  majesty  wishes  to  continue  her  journey  im- 
mediately." 


THE  QUEEN'S  FLIGHT.  57 

"The  horses  are  not  yet  here,"  exclaimed  he  anxiously; 
"the  superintendent  promised  he  would  fetch  and  harness 
them  himself,  and  he  does  not  return." 

Some  one  set  up  u  loud,  scornful  laugh,  which  reached  the 
queen's  ears.  She  bent  forward  and  looked  uneasily  at  the 
laborer  who  was  standing  at  the  door  with  folded  arms.  The 
footman  turned,  and  asked  him,  indignantly,  why  he  laughed. 
The  man  looked  at  him  with  twinkling  eyes.  "  Well,"  he 
said,  "  I  laugh  because  you  are  looking  for  horses,  and  have 
been  waiting  here  for  an  hour  already.  But  they  will  not 
come,  for  the  superintendent  has  driven  two  of  them  through 
the  back  gate  into  the  field,  and  then  mounted  the  third,  and 
rode  off!" 

The  queen  uttered  a  low  cry,  and  placed  her  hand  convul- 
sively on  her  heart;  she  felt  there  a  piercing  pain,  depriving 
her  of  breath,  and  turning  her  cheeks  pale. 

"  Then  the  stable  is  empty  ?"  said  Madame  von  Berg. 

"Yes,  and  there  is  not  a  hack  even  in  the  whole  village; 
the  peasants  have  taken  them  all  to  Kiistrin,  lest  the  French 
should  take  them." 

"  Are  the  French,  then,  so  near  ?" 

"  The  superintendent  said  this  morning  he  had  seen  them 
at  Barwalde,  two  miles  from  our  village." 

"  Let  us  start — let  us  set  out  without  a  minute's  delay," 
said  Louisa,  anxiously  grasping  her  friend's  arm.  "  The 
superintendent  is  a  traitor,  and  has  left  the  village  in  order 
to  inform  our  enemies  that  I  am  here.  Oh,  Caroline,  we 
must  escape,  and  if  I  cannot  do  otherwise,  I  shall  pursue  my 
journey  on  foot!" 

"  No,  your  majesty,  there  must  and  will  be  some  expedient," 
replied  Caroline,  resolutely.  "  Permit  me  to  alight  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  speak  to  the  postilion  who  drove  us  hither." 

"  I  shall  alight  with  you,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  rising  and 
trying  to  open  the  coach  door. 

Madame  von  Berg  wished  to  keep  her  back.  "  What,"  she 
exclaimed  in  dismay.  "  1  am  sure  your  majesty  will  not— 

"  Speak  personally  to  the  postilion  ?  Yes,  I  will.  lie  is  a 
human  being,  like  all  of  us,  and  at  this  hour  happier  and 
more  enviable  than  we  are.  Perhaps  he  will  have  mercy  on 
his  sovereign !" 

She  hastily  left  the  carriage,  and  ordered  the  footman  to 
conduct  her  to  the  postilion,  who,  during  the  last  hour,  had 
fed  and  watered  his  horses,  and  was  just  about  to  ride  back 
with  them  to  his  station,  lie  hastened  to  obey  the  order, 


58  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

and  approached  the  queen,  who  stood  trembling  near  the 
carriage  by  the  side  of  Madame  von  Berg. 

"  Speak  to  him  first/'  said  Louisa  to  her  friend. 

"  You  have  heard  that  we  cannot  get  any  other  horses," 
said  Madame  von  Berg.  "  Her  majesty  wants  you,  therefore, 
to  drive  us  to  the  next  station." 

"That  is  impossible,  madame,"  said  the  postilion;  "my 
horses  are  exhausted,  and  I  myself  am  so  weary  that  I  am 
almost  unable  to  stand,  for  I  have  been  on  horseback  for 
three  days.  We  had  to  take  fugitives  to  Kiistrin  all  the 
time." 

"  If  you  drive  us  thither  rapidly  and  without  delay,  you 
shall  be  liberally  rewarded;  you  may  depend  on  it,"  replied 
Madame  von  Berg. 

"  All  the  rewards  of  the  world  would  not  do  me  any  good, 
inasmuch  as  neither  I  nor  my  horses  are  able  to  continue  the 
journey  to  Kiistrin,"  he  replied,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"  I  would  gladly  comply  with  your  request,  but  I  cannot." 

"You  cannot?"  asked  the  queen,  in  her  sonorous  voice, 
"  have  you  any  children  ?" 

"  Yes,  madame,  I  have  children.     Two  boys  and  a  girl." 

"Well,  suppose  you  should  hear  that  your  children  were  in 
Kiistrin,  that  some  great  danger  was  menacing  them,  and 
that  they  were  anxiously  crying  for  their  father.  What  would 
you  do  then  ?" 

"  I  would  gallop  with  lightning  speed,  not  caring  if  the 
trip  killed  my  horses,  could  I  only  reach  my  children !" 

"Well,"  said  the,  queen,  with  a  gentle  smile,  "although 
you  are  a  father,  and  love  your  children  so  ardently,  yet  you 
are  cruel  enough  to  refuse  your  assistance  to  a  mother  who 
wishes  to  hasten  to  hers  ?  I  beseech  you  take  me  to  them,  for 
they  are  looking  with  anxiety  for  me."  As  she  uttered  these 
words  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  her  lips  trembled. 

The  man  was  silent,  and  gazed  with  an  air  of  surprise  at 
Louisa's  beautiful  face.  "  Madame,"  he  said,  after  a  pause, 
"  pray  enter  the  carriage  again.  I  will  take  you  to  Kiistrin 
— you  shall  be  with  your  children  in  an  hour.  But  I  tell  you, 
madame,"  he  added,  turning  to  Madame  von  Berg,  "  I  do  not 
go  for  the  sake  of  the  reward  you  have  promised  me,  and  I 
will  not  take  any  money.  I  go  because  it  would  be  infamous 
not  to  reunite  a  mother  and  her  children.  Now,  make  haste." 
He  turned  round  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  and  began  to 
prepare  for  the  journey. 

The  queen  gazed  after  him  with  beaming  glances,  and  then 


THE  QUEEN'S  FLIGHT.  59 

raised  her  eyes  to  heaven.  "  I  thank  Thee,  my  God,"  she 
murmured.  "  Give  me  strength  that  I  may  still  believe  in 
the  human  heart,  and  that  such  a  discovery  as  I  have  made 
to-day  as  to  the  treachery  of  one  man  may  not  harden  my 
heart!  Come,  Caroline,  let  us  enter;  in  an  hour  we  shall 
be  with  my  children;  oh,  in  an  hour,  I  shall  see  the  king!" 
An  expression  of  delight  overspread  her  face  like  sunshine, 
and  she  hastened  to  the  carriage  with  light,  elastic  steps. 

The  postilion  whipped  the  horses.  The  village  was  soon  left 
behind,  and  they  proceeded  rapidly  toward  their  destination. 

"How  fast  the  kind-hearted  man  drives!"  said  Louisa. 
"  He  does  not  do  so  for  the  sake  of  the  queen,  but  because 
he  thinks  of  his  children,  and  commiserates  a  mother's  heart. 
Oh,  I  confess,  my  heart  was  painfully  moved  by  the  discovery 
of  the  superintendent's  treachery,  but  the  all-merciful  God 
sends  me  this  excellent  man.  I  shall  ever  remember  him, 
and,  please  God,  I  will  reward  him  for  his  kindness,  by  taking 
care  of  his  children." 

"  But  I  trust  your  majesty  will  also  remember  the  traitor, 
and  cause  him  to  be  punished,"  said  Madame  von  Berg,  in- 
dignantly. "  lie  has  committed  a  great  crime  against  his 
queen  and  against  his  fatherland,  and  ought  to  be  called  to 
account." 

"  If  he  has  deserved  it,  Jet  God  punish  him,"  said  Louisa, 
gently.  "  I  shall  try  to  forget  him,  and  I  beg  you  not  to  say 
any  thing  about  it  to  the  king.  I  am  afraid,  my  dear,  we 
should  have  much,  very  much  to  do,  if  we  were  to  punish  all 
those  who  betray  us.  The  superintendent  was  the  first  faith- 
less subject  we  met,  but  he  will  not  be  the  last.  Let  us  for- 
get him.  But  what  is  that  ?  Why  does  the  postilion  drive 
so  fast  ?  It  seems  as  if  the  carriage  had  wings.  What  does 
it  mean  ?" 

In  fact,  they  dashed  along  the  road  like  an  arrow,  and,  as 
though  this  were  not  sufficient,  the  anxious  voice  of  the  foot- 
man was  heard  shouting,  "Forward,  postilion!  Forward,  as 
fast  as  possible!" 

"  There  is  something  wrong,  and  I  must  know  what  it  is !" 
exclaimed  the  queen.  She  rose  from  her  seat,  and  opened 
the  front  window.  "  Tell  me  honestly  and  directly,"  she 
said  to  the  footman, "  why  does  the  postilion  drive  so  rapidly?  " 

"  If  your  majesty  commands  me  to  do  so,  I  must  tell  the 
truth,"  replied  he.  "  We  are  pursued  by  French  chasseurs. 
They  are  galloping  behind  us  on  the  high-road.  I  can  al- 
ready distinguish  their  uniforms." 


60  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

"  And  shall  we  be  able  to  escape  them  ?"  asked  Louisa, 
with  the  semblance  of  perfect  calmness. 

"  We  hope  so,  your  majesty.  If  the  horses  can  run  fifteen 
minutes  longer,  we  are  safe,  for  then  we  shall  be  in  Kiistrin." 

"  Tell  the  postilion  that  I  shall  provide  for  the  education 
of  his  children,  if  we  reach  Kiistrin  in  fifteen  minutes/'  re- 
plied the  queen. 

She  then  sank  back  for  a  minute  like  a  bruised  reed.  A 
heart-rending  scream  escaped  her,  and  she  raised  her  hand  in 
despair.  Presently  she  again  became  composed  and  looked 
back  from  the  window,  so  as  to  be  able  to  see  the  approaching 
danger. 

Like  lightning  they  proceeded  along  the  high-road,  but  the 
chasseurs  gained  upon  them,  and  the  distance  rapidly  de- 
creased. The  queen's  piercing  eyes  could  already  distinguish 
the  faces  of  her  enemies.  She  heard  the  loud  shouts  and  oaths 
with  which  they  sought  to  increase  their  speed.  She  leaned 
back,  and  a  fearful  pallor  overspread  her  cheeks,  but  she  was 
still  calm. 

"  Listen  to  what  I  tell  you,  Caroline,"  she  said,  in  a  grave, 
solemn  voice,  "  I  cannot  survive  the  disgrace  of  being  taken 
prisoner  by  the  French.  I  will  not  adorn,  as  a  modern  Cleo- 
patra, the  triumphal  entry  of  the  modern  Augustus.  To  live 
and  to  die  honorably  is  my  motto.  I  prefer  death  to  ignomini- 
ous captivity.  Tell  it  to  my  husband  and  my  children.  And 
now  to  the  will  of  God  I  commit  myself.  The  moment  that 
a  French  soldier  extends  his  hand  toward  me,  this  friend  will 
deliver  me!" 

She  drew  a  small  dagger  from  her  bosom,  and  grasped  it 
firmly  and  resolutely. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?"  exclaimed  Caroline,  in  terror. 

"  Hush !"  replied  the  queen,  "  my  resolution  is  irrevocable. 
Sooner  death  than  the  disgrace  of  ridicule !  Let  us  see  what 
is  going  on." 

She  leaned  once  more  out  of  the  carriage,  which  was  still 
dashing  along  with  the  utmost  rapidity.  The  chasseurs  were 
fast  approaching.  The  panting  and  snorting  of  the  foaming 
horses  were  already  heard — the  flashing,  triumphant  eyes  of 
the  soldiers  distinctly  seen.  Every  second  brought  them 
nearer  and  nearer.  Louisa  withdrew  her  head.  Her  right 
hand  firmly  grasped  the  dagger.  In  breathless  exhaustion, 
and  as  pale  as  though  dying,  she  awaited  her  fate. 

Suddenly  they  rolled  with  great  noise  over  a  paved  street — 
they  stopped — and  Louisa  thought  it  was  an  angel's  voice, 


THE  QUEEN'S  FLIGHT.  Gl 

when  she  heard  the  words,.  "  There  is  Kiistriu !  We  are 
saved  I" 

She  started  up,  and  looked  once  more  out  of  the  window. 
Yes,  she  was  saved.  The  chasseurs  were  galloping  off  again, 
and  close  at  hand  was  the  first  gate  of  the  fortress  of  Kiistriu. 
She  had  constantly  looked  back  toward  the  pursuing  enemy, 
not  toward  her  destination,  and  now  that  she  was  saved,  it 
seemed  to  her  a  miracle,  for  which  she  thanked  God  from  the 
bottom  of  her  heart. 

They  passed  through  the  gate,  but  could  only  drive  at  a 
slow  pace.  An  immense  chaos  of  vehicles  loaded  with  bed- 
ding, furniture,  trunks,  cases,  boxes,  and  bags,  obstructed  the 
passage.  Shrieks,  lamentations,  and  oaths,  resounded  in  the 
wildest  confusion.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  suburbs  and 
neighboring  villages  had  fled  hither  with  their  movables,  to 
seek  protection  behind  the  walls  of  the  fortress. 

The  queen  had  again  concealed  the  dagger  in  her  bosom,  and 
looked  up  to  heaven  with  eyes  full  of  fervent  gratitude. 

"  I  am  saved !"  she  whispered ;  "  I  shall  see  again  my  hns- 
band  and  my  children.  Life  is  mine  again!" 

The  passage  became  wider.  They  were  able  to  advance 
more  rapidly,  and  soon  reached  the  market-place.  A  general 
in  uniform  was  just  crossing  it.  When  he  was  passing  near 
her,  the  queen  joyfully  exclaimed: 

"  Kockeritz!     Where  is  the  king?" 

"Oh,  Heaven  be  praised  that  your  majesty  has  arrived !  The 
king  is  here.  He  is  standing  among  the  generals  in  front  of 
the  house  yonder." 

They  stopped.  The  coach  door  opened,  and  the  pale,  mel- 
ancholy face  of  the  king  looked  in.  Louisa  stretched  out 
her  arms  toward  him.  "Frederick!  my  dear, dear  husband!" 
she  exclaimed,  and,  encircling  his  neck  with  her  arms,  im- 
printed a  kiss  on  his  lips.  He  did  not  utter  a  word,  but  drew 
her  with  an  impetuous  motion  into  his  arms  and  carried  her 
into  the  house,  regardless  of  the  rules  of  etiquette,  through  the 
crowd  of  generals,  who  bowed  and  stepped  aside.  She  clung 
tenderly  to  him  and  supported  her  head  with  a  blissful  smile 
on  his  shoulder.  He  now  placed  the  beloved  burden  slowly 
and  cautiously  into  an  easy-chair;  then  crossed  the  room  and 
opened  the  door  leading  into  an  adjoining  chamber. 

"Come,  come,  your  mother  is  here!"  said  he, abruptly,  and 
two  boys  ran  immediately  into  the  room,  with  a  loud,  joyous 
exclamation. 

"My  sons,  my  beloved  sons!"  cried  Louisa,  stretching  out 


62  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

her  hands  toward  them.  They  rushed  to  her,  clasping  her  in 
their  arms  and  kissing  her.  The  queen  pressed  them  to  her 
heart,  shedding  tears,  half  of  grief,  and  half  of  happiness  at 
being  reunited  with  her  family.  Not  a  word  was  spoken; 
only  sighs  and  sobs,  and  expressions  of  tenderness,  interrupted 
the  silence.  The  king  stood  at  the  window,_looking  at  his 
wife  and  sons,  and  something  like  a  tear  dimmed  his  eyes. 
"I  would  gladly  die  if  they  could  only  be  happy  again/' he 
murmured  to  himself;  "  but  we  are  only  in  the  beginning  of 
our  misfortunes,  and  worse  things  are  in  store  for  us  I" 

He  was  right;  worse  things  were  in  store  for  them.  Day 
after  day  brought  tidings  of  fresh  disasters.  The  first  was, 
that  Erfurt  had  capitulated  on  the  day  after  the  battle  of 
Jena — that  the  French  occupied  it,  and  that  a  garrison  of 
four  thousand  men  had  surrendered  at  discretion.  Then 
came  the  news  that  the  French,  who  had  not  met  with  the 
slightest  resistance,  and  were  driving  every  thing  before  them, 
had  crossed  the  Elbe,  and  were  moving  on  Potsdam  and  Ber- 
lin. The  royal  couple  learned  at  the  same  time  that  Count 
Schulenburg  had  left  Berlin  with  the  troops  without  permis- 
sion, and  solely  on  his  own  responsibility,  and  that  he  had 
forgotten  in  his  hurry  to  remove  the  immense  quantity  of  arms 
from  the  arsenal.  Another  day  dawned  and  brought  even 
more  disastrous  tidings.  The  French  were  reported  as  ap- 
proaching the  fortress  of  Kustrin  by  forced  marches! 

A  panic  seized  the  garrison.  Most  of  the  officers  and  pri- 
vates, and  the  whole  suite  of  the  king,  declared  loudly, 
"  Peace  only  can  save  us !  Further  resistance  is  vain,  and 
will  increase  our  calamities.  Submission  to  the  conqueror 
may  save  what  remains."  Minister  von  Haugwitz  used  this 
language,  and  so  did  Generals  von  Kockeritz  and  von  Zastrow, 
and  so  thought  the  commander  of  Kustrin,  though  he  did 
not  utter  his  sentiments. 

The  king  listened  to  all  these  supplications  and  suggestions 
with  grave  and  gloomy  composure.  He  did  not  say  a  word, 
but  looked  sometimes  with  an  inquiring  glance  at  the  pale 
face  of  the  queen.  She  understood  him,  and  whispered  with 
a  smile:  "  Courage,  my  husband,  courage !"  And  he  nodded 
to  her,  and  said  in  a  low  voice :  "  I  will  have  courage  to  the 
bitter  end !  We  cannot  remain  here,  for  the  report  that  the 
French  are  approaching  has  been  confirmed.  Let  us  go  to 
Graudenz !" 

Louisa  laid  her  hand  on  the  king's  shoulder,  and  looked 
tenderly  into  his  eyes.  "  Whither  you  go,  I  go,"  she  said, 


THE  QUEEN'S  FLIGHT.  63 

"  even  though  we  should  be  compelled  to  escape  beyond  the 
sea  or  into  the  ice-fields  of  Siberia;  we  will  remain  together, 
and  so  long  as  I  am  with  you,  adversity  cannot  break  my 
heart." 

Frederick  kissed  her  and  then  went  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  their  departure,  to  give  his  final  orders  to 
the  commander  of  Kiistrin,  M.  von  Ingelsheim :  "  Defend 
the  fortress  to  the  last  extremity,  and  capitulate  under  no 
circumstances  whatever." 

The  queen  seemed  calm  and  composed  so  long  as  her  hus- 
band was  at  her  side.  But  when  he  had  withdrawn,  she  burst 
into  tears;  sinking  down  on  a  chair,  she  buried  her  face  in 
her  hands  and  sobbed  aloud. 

"You  are  weeping!"  whispered  a  soft,  sweet  voice.  "Oh, 
dear  mother,  do  not  weep,"  said  another,  and  two  heads 
leaned  on  her  shoulders — the  heads  of  her  oldest  sons.  She 
took  her  hands  from  her  face,  and  shook  the  tears  from  her 
eyes.  She  kissed  her  sons,  and,  placing  both  of  them  be- 
fore her,  gazed  at  them  a  long  time  with  an  air  of  melancholy 
tenderness. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  and  while  she  spoke  her  voice  became 
firmer,  and  her  face  radiant — "yes,  1  am  weeping;  nor  am 
I  ashamed  of  my  tears.  I  am  weeping  for  the  downfall  of 
my  house — the  loss  of  that  glory  with  which  your  ancestors 
and  their  generals  crowned  the  Hohenzollern  dynasty,  and 
the  splendor  of  which  extended  over  the  whole  of  Prussia — 
nay,  over  all  Germany.  That  glory  has,  I  say,  departed  for- 
ever. Fate  has  destroyed  in  a  day  a  structure  in  the  erection 
of  which  great  men  had  been  engaged  for  two  centuries. 
There  is  no  longer  a  Prussian  state,  a  Prussian  army,  and 
Prussian  honor!  Ah!  my  sons,  you  are  old  enough  to  com- 
prehend and  appreciate  the  events  now  befalling  us;  at  a  fu- 
ture time,  when  your  mother  will  be  no  more  among  the  liv- 
ing, remember  this  unhappy  hour.  Shed  tears  for  me,  as  I 
do  for  the  ruin  of  our  country!  But  listen/'  she  added,  and 
her  eyes  beamed  with  enthusiasm,  "do  not  content  yourselves 
with  shedding  tears!  Act,  develop  your  strength.  Prussia's 
genius,  perhaps,  will  favor  you.  Then  deliver  your  nation 
from  the  disgrace  and  humiliation  in  which  it  is  at  present 
grovelling!  Try  to  recover  the  now  eclipsed  fame  of  your 
ancestors,  as  your  great-grandfather,  the  great  elector,  once 
avenged,  at  Fehrbellin,  the  defeats  of  his  father  against  the 
Swedes.  Let  not  the  degeneracy  of  the  age  carry  you  away,  my 
sons;  become  men  and  heroes.  Should  you  lack  this  ambition, 


64  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

you  would  be  unworthy  of  the  name  of  princes  and  grand- 
sons of  Frederick  the  Great.  But  if,  in  spite  of  all  efforts, 
you  should  fail  in  restoring  the  former  grandeur  of  the  state, 
then  seek  death  as  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  sought  it  I" 


CHAPTER     VIII. 

NAPOL-EON    IN     POTSDAM. 

THE  unheard-of  and  never-expected  event  had  taken  place; 
the  son  of  the  Corsican  lawyer,  the  general  of  the  Eevolution, 
had  defeated  the  Prussian  army,  compelled  the  royal  family 
to  flee  to  the  eastern  provinces,  and  now  made  his  triumphal 
entry  into  their  capital !  On  the  afternoon  of  the  24th  of  Oc- 
tober he  arrived  in  Potsdam;  the  royal  palace  had  to  open  its 
doors  to  him;  the  royal  servants  had  to  receive  him  as  rever- 
entially as  though  he  had  been  their  sovereign ! 

Napoleon  was  now  master  of  Prussia  as  well  as  of  all  Ger- 
many. But  his  classic  face  remained  as  cold  and  calm  in 
these  days  of  proud  triumph  as  it  had  been  in  the  days  of  ad- 
versity. His  successes  seemed  to  surprise  him  as  little  as  his 
early  misfortunes  had  discouraged  him.  When  ascending  the 
broad  carpeted  staircase,  he  turned  to  Duroc,  his  grand  mar- 
shal and  beckoned  him  to  his  side.  "Just  notice,  grand  mar- 
shal," he  said,  in  so  loud  a  voice  that  it  resounded  through 
the  palace,  "  just  notice  the  strange  coincidence.  If  I  re- 
member rightly,  it  is  just  a  year  to-day  since  the  fine-looking 
Emperor  Alexander  of  Russia  arrived  here  in  Potsdam,  and 
paid  a  visit  to  the  queen.  Please  ask  the  steward  who  re- 
ceived us  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  whether  it  is  not  so." 

Duroc  went  away,  and  soon  returned  with  the  answer  that 
his  majesty  had  not  been  mistaken;  it  was  just  a  year  to-day 
since  the  Emperor  of  Russia  arrived  in  Potsdam. 

A  faint  smile  overspread  Napoleon's  face.  "  I  will  occupy 
the  same  rooms  which  Alexander  then  occupied,"  he  said, 
passing  on. 

Duroc  hastened  back,  to  give  the  necessary  orders.  Napo- 
leon walked  down  the  corridor  with  ringing,  soldier-like  foot- 
steps, followed  by  his  marshals,  and  entered  the  large  por- 
trait-gallery of  the  Prussian  monarchs,  who  looked  down  on 
him  with  grave  eyes. 

The  emp.eror  paused  in  the  middle  of  the  hall  and  glanced 


NAPOLEON  IN  POTSDAM.  65 

over  the  portraits  with  a  gloomy  air.  "  All  those  men  had  a 
high  opinion  of  themselves,"  he  said,  in  a  sullen  tone;  "they 
were  proud  of  their  high  birth  and  of  their  royal  crown,  and 
yet  death  has  trampled  them  all  in  the  dust.  I  will  now  take 
upon  myself  the  task  of  death:  I  will  annihilate  this  Prussia 
which  dared  to  take  up  arms  against  me,  and  who  knows 
whether  this  gallery  of  Prussian  kings  will  not  close  with 
Frederick  William  III.  ?  Nothing  on  earth  is  lasting,  and 
sovereigns  now-a-days  fall  from  their  thrones  as  over-ripe 
apples  from  trees.  The  crown  of  Prussia  fell  to  the  ground 
on  the  battle-fields  of  Jena  and  Auerstiidt!" 

The  portraits  of  the  Prussian  rulers  looked  down  silently  on 
the  triumphant  conqueror,  and  neither  his  scornful  voice,  nor 
the  haughty  glances  with  which  he  contemplated  them,  dis- 
turbed their  tranquillity.  Not  a  vwce  answered  these  arro- 
gant and  insulting  words;  the  marshals  stood  silent  and 
respectful,  and  still  seemed  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  oracle 
which  had  just  announced  to  the  portraits  of  the  royal  ances- 
tors of  the  present  king  the  downfall  of  their  house.  But 
Napoleon's  brow,  which  had  momentarily  beamed  with  proud 
thoughts,  was  again  clouded.  Joining  his  hands  on  his  back, 
he  crossed  the  hall  to  the  large  central  window,  from  which 
there  was  a  fine  and  extensive  view  of  the  lawn,  with  its  old 
trees  and  splendid  statues,  and  beyond,  of  the  Havel  and  its 
hilly  banks.  He  gazed  gloomily  at  this  landscape,  then 
turned  and  looked  again  at  the  pictures,  but  only  for  a  mo- 
ment, as  though  he  would  threaten  them  once  more,  and 
make  them  feel  again  the  angry  glance  of  him  who  had  come 
to  dethrone  their  descendant  and  appropriate  his  crown. 
Then  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  portrait  of  a  handsome  woman 
whose  large  blue  eyes  seemed  to  gaze  at  him,  and  her  crimson 
lips  to  greet  him  with  a  winning  smile.  Quite  involuntarily, 
and  as  if  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  this  likeness,  he  approached 
and  contemplated  it  long  and  admiringly. 

"  Truly,"  he  said,  "  that  is  a  charming  creature.  That  lady 
must  have  been  wondrously  lovely,  and  at  the  same  time  sur- 
passingly graceful  and  high-spirited." 

"Sire,"  said  Duroc,  who  had  followed  him  and  overheard 
his  words,  "sire,  she  is  still  wondrously  lovely,  and,  as  your 
majesty  says,  surpassingly  graceful  and  high-spirited.  It  is 
the  portrait  of  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia." 

A  dark  expression  mantled  Napoleon's  face,  and,  bending 
an  angry  glance  on  Duroc,  he  said,  "  It  is  well  known  that 
you  were  always  foolishly  in  love  with  the  Queen  of  Prussia, 


66  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

and,  according  to  your  statement,  one  might  believe  there 
was  no  woman  in  the  whole  world  so  beautiful  as  she  is."  He 
turned  his  back  on  the  painting  and  stepped  to  the  next  one : 
"  And  this,  then,  doubtless,  is  Frederick  William  III.  ?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  it  is  the  portrait  of  the  reigning  king." 

"Of  the  reigning  king?"  repeated  the  emperor,  with  a 
scornful  smile.  "  It  is  a  very  good-natured  face,"  he  added, 
looking  at  the  full-sized  portrait;  "  and  as  I  behold  his  gentle, 
timid  air,  I  comprehend  that  he  allows  himself  to  be  directed 
by  advisers,  and  follows  the  will  of  others  rather  than  his  own. 
But  this  little  King  of  Prussia  is  taller  than  I  thought!" 

"  Sire,  he  is  about  as  tall  as  the  Grand-duke  of  Berg,"  said 
Duroc. 

"As  Murat?"  asked  Napoleon.  "It  never  seemed  tome 
that  he  was  as  tall  as  that.  Is  not  Murat  of  my  own  height?" 

"No,  sire,  he  is  higher  than  you!" 

"You  mean  he  is  taller  than  I,"  said  Napoleon,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  Height  of  stature  is  of  no  consequence. 
Frederick  II.  was  much  smaller  than  his  grand-nephew,  and 
yet  he  was  the  greatest  of  Prussia's  kings.  We  will  afterward 
pay  him  a  visit  at  Sans-souci.  Until  then,  adieu,  gentlemen. 
Come,  Duroc,  conduct  me  to  the  rooms  of  the  Emperor 
Alexander!" 

He  greeted  the  marshals  with  a  quick  nod,  and  then  fol- 
lowed Duroc  into  the  long  suite  of  halls  and  brilliant  rooms 
which,  only  a  year  ago,  had  been  newly  decorated  and  fur- 
nished with  royal  magnificence  for  the  reception  of  the  czar. 

"These  kings  and  princes  'by  the  grace  of  God'  live  here 
very  pleasantly,"  muttered  Napoleon  in  an  undertone;  "they 
know  better  how  to  build  and  furnish  their  residences  than  to 
preserve  them  to  their  children.  Well,  I  am  a  good  architect, 
and  have  come  to  reconstruct  the  royal  palace  of  Prussia.  Do 
you  think,  Duroc,  those  ingrates  will  thank  me  for  it?" 

"They  will  see  that  the  lion  must  have  his  share,"  said 
Duroc,  "  and  they  will,  doubtless,  be  thankful  if  any  thing  is 
left  to  them.  Sire,  here  we  are  in  the  czar's  bedroom !  The 
steward  told  me  every  thing  was  arranged  in  it  precisely  the 
same  as  in  the  days  when  the  Eussian  emperor  was  here. 
Nobody  has  slept  in  this  bed  since." 

"I  must  sleep  in  it,"  said  Napoleon,  quickly,  "and  I  be- 
lieve I  shall  sleep  in  the  royal  Prussian  palace,  and  in  the 
bed  of  the  Russian  emperor,  as  comfortably  as  I  did  in  the 
Tuileries  and  in  the  bed  of  Louis  XVI." 


NAPOLEON  IN  POTSDAM.  67 

He  threw  his  small  three-cornered  hat  with  a  contemptuous 
gesture  on  the  bed,  which  was  surmounted  by  a  velvet  canopy, 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  then,  his  arms  crossed  behind 
him,  commenced  slowly  pacing  the  room.  Duroc  dared  not 
disturb  him,  and  turned  toward  the  paintings  and  engravings 
hanging  on  the  walls.  The  emperor  walked  a  long  while 
gravely  and  musingly;  his  brow  grew  more  clouded,  and  he 
pressed  his  lips  more  firmly  together.  Suddenly  he  paused 
before  Duroc,  and,  being  alone,  spoke  to  him  no  longer  in 
the  tone  of  a  master,  but  with  the  unreserveduess  of  a  friend. 

"Legitimacy  is  a  terrible  power,  Duroc,"  said  he,  hastily; 
"  it  is  what  I  cannot  vanquish  with  all  my  cannon.  Sover- 
eigns and  princes  know  it  full  well,  and  that  is  the  reason  of 
their  obstinacy.  They  oppose  their  ancestors  to  my  victorious 
eagles,  and  when,  by  virtue  of  my  right  as  conqueror,  I  enter 
their  palaces  and  take  possession  of  them,  I  find  there  the 
proud  company  of  their  forefathers,  who  seem  to  look  scorn- 
fully down  on  me,  and  tell  me,  'You  are  after  all  but  an  in- 
truder and  usurper,  while  we  are  and  shall  remain  here  the 
rightful  owners. '  I  am  sick  and  tired  of  playing  this  part  of 
usurper.  I  shall  overthrow  all  dynasties,  expel  all  legitimate 
sovereigns — and  there  shall  be  no  other  throne  than  mine.  I 
shall  be  at  least  the  first  legitimate  monarch  of  the  new 
era!" 

"  And  erpelled  princes  will  sit  in  some  nook  of  your  im- 
mense empire,"  said  Duroc,  laughing,  "  and  sing  to  the  people 
the  same  song  of  legitimacy ;  and  it  will  be  listened  to  as  one 
of  the  fairy  stories  of  childhood,  in  which  they  believe  no 
more. " 

"But  they  shall  believe  in  my  legitimacy!"  exclaimed  Na- 
poleon, quickly.  "  I  will  be  the  first  of  the  Napoleonic  sover- 
eigns." His  brow  was  clouded  again.  "But  it  is  true,"  he 
murmured,  "  in  order  to  found  a  dynasty,  I  need  a  son.  I 
must  have  legitimate  children.  It  will  be  no  fault  of  mine  if 
circumstances  compel  me  to  divorce  Josephine ;  for  I  will  not, 
like  Alexander  of  Macedon,  conquer  exclusively  for  the  benefit 
of  my  generals.  I  need  an  heir  to  my  empire." 

"  Sire,  you  have  one  in  the  son  of  the  empress,  noble  King 
Eugene." 

"No,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  gloomily,  "the  son  of  the 
Viscount  de  Beauharnais  cannot  be  heir  to  my  throne.  My 
blood  does  not  flow  in  his  veins.  Oh,  why  did  the  young 
Napoleon  die!  I  had  destined  him  to  succeed  me,  because  he 


68  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

was  of  my  blood,  and  a  scion  of  my  family.*  Poor  Josephine! 
if  her  tears  and  prayers  could  have  saved  the  child's  life,  I 
should  never  have  thought  of  taking  another  wife." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Duroc,  in  dismay,  "your  majesty 
thinks  of  repudiating  the  empress!" 

"My  heart  never  will  repudiate  her,"  replied  Napoleon, 
drawing  a  sigh.  "  I  shall  always  love  her,  for  she  deserves  it. 
She  is  generous  and  high-minded,  good  and  graceful.  I  never 
loved  another  woman  as  I  love  her — and  never  shall.  Judge, 
therefore,  what  a  cruel  blow  it  will  be  to  my  heart,  should  I 
be  compelled  to  separate  from  her. " 

"If  you  should,  sire,"  said  Duroc,  in  a  voice  quivering 
with  emotion, — "  if  you  repudiate  the  empress,  you  would 
thereby  sign  your  own  death-warrant,  and  Josephine  would 
not  survive  it." 

"She  will  have  to  survive  it  like  myself,"  exclaimed  the 
emperor,  impetuously.  "  I  shall  suffer  no  less — nay,  I  shall 
suffer  more  than  she,  for  she  never  loved  me  as  I  love  her. 
Her  tears  will  fall  for  the  lost  splendor  of  the  throne — not  for 
her  husband.  But  I  shall  bewail  the  beloved  wife." 

"No,  sire,"  said  Duroc,  almost  indignantly,  "you  are  un- 
just. The  empress  loves  you — you  alone.  She  accepted  the 
crown  reluctantly  and  with  tearful  eyes,  and  will  not  weep 
when  she  loses  it.  She  will  mourn  for  her  husband  only, 
whom  she  adores,  and  not  for  the  crown  which  adorns  but  also 
oppresses  her  brow." 

"Ah,  what  a  warm  advocate  the  empress  has!"  exclaimed 
Napoleon,  smiling.  "  Do  you  really  believe  that  she  loves  me 
so  disinterestedly?" 

"  Sire,  I  am  convinced  of  it,  and  so  is  your  majesty.  The 
empress  loves  in  you  her  dear  Bonaparte,  and  not  the  em- 
peror. She  loves  you  more  ardently  than  any  other  woman 
could  do.  Sire,  permit  an  old,  well-tried  friend  and  servant 
to  warn  you.  Do  not  banish  Josephine  from  your  heart,  for 
she  is  your  guardian  angel. " 

Napoleon  did  not  reply  immediately,  but  looked  melancholy 
and  abstracted. 

"It  is  true,"  he  said,  after  a  long  pause,  "Josephine 
brought  success;  until  I  married  her  every  thing  around  me 
was  forbidding  and  dark.  She  appeared  like  a  sun  by  my 
side,  and  we  rose  together." 

*  The  oldest  son  of  the  Kin*  of  Holland,  Napoleon's  brother,  and  of  Hortense, 
Josephine's  daughter,  had  been  declared  Napoleon's  successor  and  adopted  son.  He 
died  of  croup,  in  1806,  in  his  seventh  year. 


NAPOLEON  IN  POTSDAM.  69 

"Sire,  all  will  darken  again,  if  you  suffer  your  sun  to  set." 

"Ah,  bah!  these  are  nothing  but  fantastic  dreams!"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  after  a  brief  silence.  "  I  am  the  architect 
of  my  fortune — I  alone.  Josephine  did  not  assist  me  in 
erecting  my  edifice;  she  only  adorned  it  with  her  smiling 
grace.  I  shall  do  what  fate  and  my  people  have  a  right  to 
expect  of  me,  but  I  do  not  say  that  it  must  be  done  immedi- 
ately. I  have  time  enough  to  wait ;  for  as  yet  I  do  not  stand 
on  the  pinnacle  to  which  I  am  aspiring.  My  plans  are  not 
yet  accomplished.  I  hope  that  I  shall  not  die  at  so  early  an 
age  as  my  father.  I  need  ten  years  more  to  carry  out  my 
purposes.  A  sovereign  ought  not  to  set  too  narrow  limits  to 
his  wishes;  but  mine — they  are  boundless.  Like  the  con- 
queror of  Darius,  I  must  rule  the  world,  and  I  hope  that  my 
desire  will  one  day  be  fulfilled.  Nay,  I  feel  convinced  that  I 
and  my  family  will  occupy  all  the  thrones  of  Europe.  Then 
it  will  be  time  for  me  to  have  a  wife  who  will  give  an  heir  to 
my  empire,  and  a  son  to  my  heart.  Until  then,  my  friend, 
keep  the  matter  secret ;  do  not  mention  what  I  have  told  you. 
The  portraits  of  the  old  kings,  with  their  surly  faces,  have 
impressed  me  very  disagreeably,  and  it  is  in  defiance  of  them 
that  I  say,  1  will  one  day  have  a  wife — a  daughter  of  the 
Caesars — who  will  think  it  an  honor  to  bear  a  son  to  the  mod- 
ern Caesar!  When  the  time  comes,  however,  I  shall  remind 
you  of  this  hour,  and  then  request  you,  in  the  name  of  the 
confidence  which  I  have  reposed  in  you,  to  prepare  my  poor, 
beloved  Josephine  for  the  blow  that  is  menacing  her  and  niy- 
self,  and  which  I  then  shall  ward  off  no  longer.  But  a  truce 
to  these  matters!  Let  us  go  to  Sans-souci.  Come!" 

"  Sire,  before  your  majesty  has  dined?" 

"Ah,  you  are  hungry,  then?     You  would  like  to  dine?" 

"  Sire,  I  believe  all  the  gentlemen  entertain  the  same  desire. 
None  of  us  have  tasted  food  for  eight  hours." 

"Eight  hours,  and  you  are  already  hungry  again?  Truly, 
this  German  air  exerts  a  bad  effect  upon  my  brave  marshals. 
Like  the  Germans,  you  want  to  eat  all  the  time.  Well,  let  it 
so  be;  as  we  are  in  Germany,  I  will  comply  with  your  wishes. 
Let  us  dine,  therefore,  and  afterward  go  to  the  country- 
palace  of  Frederick  II.  Be  kind  enough  to  issue  your  orders, 
grand-marshal.  Let  the  horses  be  ready;  we  shall  set  out  as 
soon  as  we  have  dined.  Tell  Koustan  to  come  to  me!" 

Napoleon  was  now  again  the  sovereign,  and  it  was  in  this 
capacity  that  he  dismissed  Duroc,  who  left  the  room  with  a 
D — MUHLBACH  You  10 


70  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

respectful  bow.  Roustan,  who  had  already  heard  the  order  in 
the  anteroom,  glided  past  him  to  assist  Constant  in  the  em- 
peror's toilet. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

SANS-SOUCI. 

DUKOC  hastened  once  more  through  the  rooms  and  halls  to 
the  corridor,  where  the  palace-steward  came  to  meet  him. 

"Dinner  is  ready,  grand  marshal,"  he  said. 

"  And  have  you  set  another  table  in  the  adjoining  room?" 

"Your  orders  have  been  punctually  obeyed." 

"  Be  good  enough,  then,  to  conduct  me  to  the  large  dining- 
hall." 

The  steward  bowed  in  silence,  and  led  the  way.  All  the 
marshals  and  generals  were  already  assembled  when  Duroc 
entered. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said,  smiling,  "his  majesty  is  now  occu- 
pied with  his  toilet,  and  Roustan  has  assured  me  that  it  would 
last  half  an  hour.  We  have  half  an  hour,  therefore,  to  take 
our  dinner."  Followed  by  the  others,  he  went  into  the  next 
room.  A  table  had  been  set  there,  and  appetizing  odors  in- 
vited them  to  sit  down  to  it. 

"  Now,  steward,  have  every  thing  served  up  as  quick  as 
possible.  We  have  but  twenty  minutes  left."  During  that 
time  there  reigned  profound  silence,  only  now  and  then  in- 
terrupted by  a  word  or  a  brief  remark.  The  marshals  con- 
tented themselves  in  making  the  viands  disappear,  and  empty- 
ing the  bottles.  Duroc,  who  had  frequently  cast  anxious 
glances  at  the  large  clock,  now  rose  hastily.  "Gentlemen," 
he  said,  "  our  time  is  up,  a'nd  we  must  be  ready  for  the  em- 
peror's dinner.  I  will  go  to  his-  majesty,  and  conduct  him  to 
the  dining-hall.  I  hope  all  of  you  have  eaten  well,  so  as  not 
to  need  much  of  the  official  repast  to  which  we  are  going. 
The  emperor  has  graciously  ordered  us  all  to  dine  with  him. 
Be  so  kind  as  to  repair  to  the  hall." 

When  Napoleon  entered,  a  few  minutes  later,  preceded  by 
Duroc,  he  found  all  the  marshals  assembled.  The  dinner 
commenced,  and  he,  it  seemed,  was  no  less  hungry  than  his 
generals,  for  not  only  did  he  eat  his  soup  with  the  utmost 
rapidity,  but  when  he  saw  one  of  his  favorite  dishes  placed 


SANS-SOUCI.  71 

near  him,  he  smiled  and  nodded  kindly  to  the  grand  marshal, 
who  was  standing  at  his  right,  and  presented  him  a  glass  of 
wine. 

"  See  how  attentive  these  dear  Germans  are!"  he  said.  "  If 
I  am  not  mistaken,  this  is  my  favorite  dish,  fricassee  a  la 
Marengo:" 

"  Yes,  sire,  I  sent  the  bill  of  fare  hither  last  night  by  the 
courier  who  announced  your  majesty's  arrival,  and  I  am  glad 
to  see  that  it  has  been  punctually  attended  to." 

"  So  these  German  cooks  know  already  how  to  prepare  a 
fricassee  a  la  Marengo  9  Who  has  taught  them  this?" 

"Your  majesty;  your  majesty  is  now  the  cook  and  butler 
for  all  Germany — everybody  has  become  familiar  with  your 
favorite  dishes." 

The  emperor  smiled.  Placing  a  piece  of  bread  on  his  fork, 
he  dipped  it  into  the  dish,  and  repeated  this  several  times; 
and  when  the  grand  marshal  placed  before  him  a  silver  plate, 
filled  with  a  portion  of  the  same,  he  commenced  to  eat  rapidly. 
Aware  of  his  habit,  his  attendants  had  taken  care  that  the 
pieces  of  meat  were  sufficiently  small,  and  the  whole  dish  not 
too  hot.  He  began  to  eat  the  meat  with  a  fork,  and  the 
sauce  with  a  spoon,  but  he  seemed  to  regard  both  as  too  in- 
convenient; for  he  laid  them  aside,  and,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  Turks,  used  his  delicate  white  hands,  adorned  with  dia- 
mond-rings.* Scarcely  twelve  minutes  had  elapsed  when  he 
rose.  The  grand  marshal  immediately  presented  to  him  a 
golden  basin  and  a  napkin  to  wash  his  hands. 

Napoleon's  guests  had  done  well  in  dining  beforehand;  for, 
as  the  servants  did  not  attend  to  them  so  quickly  as  to  their 
master,  and  as  they,  moreover,  were  not  able  to  eat  so  fast  as 
he,  they  would  assuredly  have  risen  hungry  from  the  table,  f 

*  Constant,  for  many  years  Napoleon's  devoted  valet  de  chambrt.  Rives  in  his 
reminiscences  a  detailed  account  of  the  emperor's  habits,  and  writes  as  follows  about 
his  mode  of  dining :  "  The  great  rapidity  with  which  the  emperor  was  accustomed 
to  eat  was  frequently  very  injurious  to  his  health.  One  of  the  immediate  effects  of 
this  habit  was,  that  be  did  not  eat  very  cleanly.  He  liked  tc  ose  his  fingers  instead 
of  a  fork,  and,  indeed,  instead  of  a  spoon.  Great  care  was  taken  always  to  place  a 
favorite  dish  before  him.  He  partook  of  it  in  the  manner  above  described,  dipping 
his  bread  into  the  sauce,  which  did  not  prevent  the  other  guests  from  eating  or  the 
same  dish,  or  at  least  such  as  wished  to  do  so.  and  there  were  few  who  did  not.  I 
have  even  seen  some  who  pretended  to  regard  this  favorite  dish  as  a  way  of  doing 
homage  to  the  emperor.  Napoleon's  favorite  dish  was  a  sort  of  chicken-fricassee, 
called,  in  honor  or  the  conqueror  of  Italy,  'friauate  d  la  Afarenjyo.1"— Constant, 
Memofres,  vol.  ii.,  p.  56. 

tThe  guests  invited  to  the  imperial  table  always  dined  beforehand.  The  em- 
peror, in  the  haste  with  which  he  ate,  did  not  notice  that  the  others  had  no  time  to 
do  so.  Once,  when  he  departed  from  the  table,  and  EugAne,  his  stepson,  rose  imme- 
diately aft«r  him.  Napoleon  turned  to  him,  and  naid  :  "  But  you  have  had  no  time 
to  eat?"  "Pardon  me,"  replied  the  prince,  "  I  dined  beforehand.1'' — "Memoires  de 
Constant,"  vol.  U.,  p.  56. 


72 

"  To  horse,  gentlemen !"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "  Let  us 
ride  over  to  Sans-souci,  and  do  homage  to  the  manes  of  the 
king  who  was  a  philosopher  and  a  great  general  at  the  same 
time." 

The  streets  of  Potsdam  were  deserted  as  the  emperor  and 
his  brilliant  suite  rode  through  them.  All  the  windows  were 
closed ;  the  citizens  were  nowhere  to  be  seen ;  only  a  crowd  of 
idle  boys  followed  the  imperial  cavalcade.  The  soldiers  of  the 
grand  French  army  alone  greeted  the  emperor  with  joyous 
cheers  outside  of  the  city,  where  they  were  encamped.  Pots- 
dam thought,  perhaps,  of  its  king,  who  had  immortalized  it, 
and  was  sad  and  ashamed  that  those  whom  Frederick  the 
Great  had  routed  in  so  glorious  a  manner  at  Kossbach  now 
made  their  triumphal  entry  into  his  capital. 

Napoleon's  brow  was  gloomy;  this  silence  of  the  population 
was  disagreeable  and  oppressive.  It  seemed  to  him  to  be  a 
sign  of  the  hostile  spirit  of  the  Prussians;  and  as  he  was  rid- 
ing slowly,  his  head  slightly  bent  forward,  along  the  avenue 
toward  Sans-souci,  he  muttered:  "This  is  a  malicious  and 
infamous  trick !  The  haughty  nobility  will  still  oppose  me, 
but  I  will  crush  them.  They  must  not  succeed,  however,  in 
making  me  angry,  but  I  shall  chastise  those  who  have  induced 
the  citizens  to  remain  at  home,  and  not  to  greet  me. "  And, 
thoughtf  ully%  he  rode  on  toward  the  country-seat  of  Frederick 
the  Great. 

No  one  was  at  the  palace  to  welcome  him  but  the  castellan, 
a  venerable  man,  who,  with  a  few  aged  servants  in  faded 
liveries,  received  the  all-powerful  conqueror  at  the  open  fold- 
ing-doors of  the  hall  leading  to  the  terrace.  Napoleon  looked 
at  him  with  a  rapid,  piercing  glance.  "  You  lived  in  the 
period  of  Frederick  II.  ?"  he  asked  hastily. 

"  Yes,  sire,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  serve  the  great 
king,"  said  the  castellan,  in  faultless,  fluent  French.  "  Hence, 
the  honorable  task  has  been  intrusted  to  us  to  watch  over  his 
sacred  resting-place,  and  to  protect  it  from  injury." 

"  The  name  of  the  great  king  is  a  sufficient  protection  for 
this  house,"  said  Napoleon.  "My  soldiers  have  a  profound 
respect  for  true  greatness ;  they  will  not  dare  to  desecrate  this 
sanctuary.  Be  my  guide,  my  friend.  Let  me  see  the  sitting- 
room  of  your  king!" 

'  Of  the  present  king,  sire?"  asked  the  castellan. 

Napoleon  smiled.  "  I  think  there  is  but  one  king  in  Sans- 
Bouci,"  he  said,  "and  that  is  Frederick  II.  Conduct  me  to 


SAN8-SOUCI.  73 

his  sitting-room!"  and  rapidly  crossing  the  semicircular  mar- 
ble hall,  he  walked  toward  the  side-door  which  the  castellan 
opened. 

"  Sire,"  he  said,  solemnly,  "  this  is  the  king's  sitting-room; 
it  is  still  furnished  precisely  as  when  he  lived  in  it.  It  has 
undergone  no  change  whatever." 

Napoleon  entered;  his  marshals  followed  him.  None  of 
them  uttered  a  word ;  every  one  seemed  involuntarily  to  tread 
lightly,  as  if  he  feared  to  disturb  the  silence  reigning  in  this 
room,  sacred  by  its  great  reminiscences.  The  emperor  walked 
rapidly  into  the  middle  of  the  room ;  there  he  paused  with 
folded  arms,  and  his  large  dark  eyes  glided  slowly  from  object 
to  object.  The  marshals  moved  softly  around,  and,  on  con- 
templating the  old-fashioned  furniture,  their  ragged  silken 
covers,  the  plain  desk  with  the  inkstand  placed  near  the  win- 
dow, the  large  easy-chair,  shrouded  in  a  ragged  purple  blanket, 
smiled  disdainfully  and  whispered  to  each  other  that  this  was 
a  room  entirely  unfit  for  a  king,  and  that  one  might  purchase 
better  and  more  tasteful  furniture  of  any  second-hand  dealer 
in  Paris.  Napoleon,  perhaps,  had  overheard  their  words,  or 
at  least  noticed  their  whisperings,  for  he  bent  an  angry  glance 
on  them.  "Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "this  is  a  place  which  de- 
serves our  profound  respect.  Here  lived  one  who  was  a  greater 
general  than  Turenne,  and  from  whose  campaigns  we  all 
might  derive  instruction.  Alexander  the  Great  himself  would 
have  admired  Frederick's  battle  of  Leuthen." 

The  aged  castellan,  who  was  standing  at  the  door,  raised 
his  head,  and  with  a  kind  glance  seemed  to  thank  Napoleon 
for  the  tribute  he  had  paid  to  the  manes  of  the  heroic  dead. 

The  emperor's  eyes  were  now  fixed  on  the  large  clock  placed 
on  a  gilded  pedestal.  It  was  a  masterpiece  of  the  period  of 
Louis  XV.,  and  adorned  in  the  most  brilliant  roccoco  style. 
The  large  dial,  with  the  figures  of  colored  enamel,  rested  in  a 
frame  and  case  of  splendidly-wrought  gold,  and  this  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  portrait  of  the  Emperor  Titus,  with  the  inscrip- 
tion, "  Diem  perdidi." 

"  Is  that  the  clock  which  the  king  caused  to  be  purchased 
fr»m  the  heirs  of  the  Marquise  de  Pompadour?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  it  is.  It  has  always  stood  in  this  room,  since 
he  purchased  it.  Frederick  the  Great  prized  it  very  highly, 
and  consulted  it  exclusively  until  his  death.  And  it  seemed 
to  know  that  he  liked  it,  for  when  he  closed  his  eyes,  the 
clock  stopped  and  never  went  again." 


74  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  quickly,  "since  the  death  of 
Frederick  the  government  of  Prussia,  it  seems,  really  did  not 
know  the  time  any  more.  And  what  about  that  ragged  old 
easy-chair?  Did  the  king  use  it,  too?" 

"Sire,"  said  the  castellan,  solemnly,  laying  stress  on  every 
v/ord  he  uttered — "  sire,  the  great  king  died  in  that  chair ;  his 
head  rested  on  the  pillow  now  lying  on  the  seat,  and  he  was 
covered  with  that  blanket. " 

The  emperor  rapidly  approached ;  the  marshals  followed  his 
example  and  walked  toward  it  on  tiptoe.  He  stood  before  it; 
his  arms  folded,  his  lips  compressed,  contemplating  it.  Be- 
hind him  stood  the  marshals,  whose  indifferent  count'enances 
and  curious  glances  contrasted  strangely  with  the  pale  face  of 
their  master.  Not  far  from  them,  near  the  door,  stood  the 
white-haired  castellan;  his  hands  clasped,  and  his  head  bowed 
mournfully  on  his  breast. 

Suddenly  the  room  was  filled  with  light;  the  sun,  which 
had  hitherto  been  hidden  by  clouds,  burst  forth  and  shone 
brilliantly ;  golden  beams  fell  upon  the  easy-chair  of  Fred- 
erick the  Great,  and  surrounded  it,  as  it  were,  with  a  halo. 

"This,  then,  is  the  death-bed  of  the  great  king,"  said  Na- 
poleon, musingly.  "  The  gods  did  not  permit  him  to  fall  on 
the  battle-field.  Disease  and  age  vanquished  the  hero  of  the 
Seven  Years'  War,  and  he  died  not  amid  the  triumphs  of  his 
soldiers,  but  solitary  and  alone!  May  Providence,  in  His 
mercy,  preserve  us  from  such  a  fate!"  And  turning  quickly 
to  the  castellan,  he  asked,  "  Were  you  present  when  the  king 
died?" 

"Yes,  sire,  I  was;  for  I  was  his  valet  de  chambre" 

"  Tell  me  the  last  words  he  uttered. " 

"  Sire,  he  spoke  repeatedly,  but  so  inaudibly  and  rapidly 
that  we  did  not  apprehend  him.  The  last  words  which  we 
were  able  to  understand  were:  'Give  me  back  my  soldiers  of 
the  Seven  Years'  War!  I  am  tired  of  ruling  over  slaves!' ' 

"  Strange,  strange,"  murmured  Napoleon ;  "  he  was  tired  of 
ruling  over  slaves !  as  though  it  were  possible  to  rule  over  free 
men!  Ah,  I  should  like  to  have  known  this  king,  who  was 
such  an  autocrat,  and  yet  despised  slaves!  who  wielded  the 
sword  as  skilfully  as  the  pen!  to  whom  the  booming  of  the 
cannon  sounded  as  melodious  as  the  notes  of  his  flute — who 
made  verses  with  Voltaire,  and  won  battles  with  Schwerin  and 
Ziethen !  He  was  able  to  do  every  thing,  and  we  have  not 
3een  his  equal!" 


SANS-SOUCI.  75 

"Oh,  sire,"  murmured  the  marshals,  "your  majesty  for- 
gets—" 

"Silence,  gentlemen!"  he  exclaimed,  in  an  angry  voice, 
pointing  with  his  outstretched  arm  to  the  easy-chair,  "  do  not 
flatter  me  in  this  room.  I  wish  I  had  known  Frederick  the 
Great,  for  I  believe  we  should  have  understood  eacli  other. " 

"Sire,"  said  the  castellan,  "it  is  true,  his  majesty  did  not 
know  you;  nevertheless,  he  dreamed  of  you." 

Napoleon  hastily  turned  toward  him  and  asked:  "  What? 
He  dreamed  of  me?  Tell  me  all  about  it.  Approach!" 

The  castellan,  obeying  the  sign  made  to  him,  advanced  a 
few  steps  slowly  and  hesitatingly. 

"  Sire,"  he  said,  "  it  was  a  few  years  after  the  Seven  Years' 
War.  I  had  just  entered  the  king's  service,  and  was  on  duty 
during  that  night;  that  is  to  say,  I  slept  in  the  anteroom, 
and  had  received  strict  orders  to  awaken  the  king  at  a  fixed 
hour  in  the  morning,  and  to  enter  his  bedroom  during  the 
night  as  soon  as  he  called  me,  or  if  I  should  hear  any  noise. 
Suddenly  I  heard  the  cry,  'Fire,  fire!'  I  rushed  immediately 
into  the  bedroom,  but  no  fire  was  to  be  seen.  My  master  lay 
on  his  couch,  groaning,  breathing  heavily,  and  evidently 
under  the  influence  of  bad  dreams.  I,  therefore,  took  the 
liberty  to  awaken  him.  'Ah,'  said  he,  heaving  a  deep  sigh,  'I 
am  glad  you  awakened  me;  I  had  a  weird,  terrible  dream,  and 
I  will  relate  it  to  you.  I  dreamed  I  was  standing  on  the  ter- 
race of  Suus-souci,  and  around  me  I  beheld  my  state  and  all 
my  palaces  close  together,  and  behind  them  I  thought  I  could 
descry  the  whole  world,  with  all  its  cities  and  countries;  it 
was  spread  out  before  my  eyes  like  a  painting  of  wondrous 
beauty,  and  I  was  rapturously  gazing  at  it.  All  at  once  the 
sky  grew  dark ;  black  clouds  passed  over  it ;  profound  dark- 
ness covered  the  beautiful  world,  and  dreadful  shrieks  and 
groans  resounded  through  the  air.  B-it  from  the  midst  of  the 
black  clouds  a  bright,  dazzling  star  burst  like  a  rocket,  and 
set  fire  to  every  thing,  until  all  countries  were  in  ruins,  and 
all  cities  burned  down.  And  as  I  saw  that,  I  cried  in  my 
anguish,  "  Fire!  fire!"  Fortunately,  you  came  and  awakened 
me.'  That,  sire,"  said  the  castellan,  drawing  a  deep  breath, 
"that  waa  the  dream.  The  king  went  on  to  say:  'The 
dream,  I  am  sure,  is  a  portentous  one,  and  some  remarkable 
event  will  doubtless  happen  in  the  course  of  this  night. 
Write  down  every  thing  I  told  you,  and  remember  the  date 
and  year!'  I  did  as  his  majesty  ordered  me;  I  wrote  down 


76  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  date,  the  year,  and  even  the  hour  in  which  the  dream 
occurred." 

"  Was  the  dream  really  a  portentous  one?  Did  any  remark- 
able event  occur  in  that  night?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  a  very  remarkable  event  occurred  in  that  night, 
but  his  majesty  did  not  hear  of  it;  he  died  too  early." 

"  When  did  he  have  that  dream?"  asked  Napoleon,  fixing  his 
eyes  on  the  old  man,  who  composedly  bore  the  searching  gaze. 

A  pause  ensued.  The  castellan  replied :  "  Sire,  Frederick 
the  Great  had  that  dream  on  the  15th  of  August,  1769." 

"  On  my  birthday!"  ejaculated  Napoleon. 

"  On  the  15th  of  August,  1769,"  repeated  the  old  man,  "  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

"  The  hour  of  my  birth,"  muttered  the  emperor  to  himself. 
After  a  short  pause  he  turned  again  toward  the  castellan,  and 
a  strange,  sarcastic  smile  played  on  his  lips. 

"  The  star  fell  from  the  sky,  and  set  fire  to  all  the  palaces 
and  countries?"  he  asked. 

The  castellan  nodded. 

"  And  you  believed  that  the  dream  referred  to  me,  and  that 
I  am  the  fallen  star?" 

"  Sire,  I  only  related  what  the  king  had  dreamed,  and  in 
what  night  and  in  what  hour  he  had  the  remarkable  dream. 
His  majesty  spoke  frequently  about  it,  and  all  his  friends 
heard  of  it.  But  nobody  was  able  to  interpret  it.  He  died 
without  obtaining  the  solution." 

"But  you  have  solved  it,"  said  Napoleon,  sneeringly.  "I 
am  the  fallen  star,  and  you  think  I  have  come  to  fulfil  that 
dream?" 

"  Sire,  I— 

"  I  shall  burn  down  your  palaces  and  scourge  your  country," 
added  he,  harshly.  "  Why  did  you  irritate  me?  I  did  not 
commence  the  war;  since  you  desired  it,  I  gave  it  to  you. 
But  tell  your  friends  and  the  good  citizens  of  Potsdam  that 
the  dream  of  their  king  will  not  be  entirely  fulfilled.  It  may 
be  that  I  shall  be  compelled  to  destroy  royal  palaces,  but  the 
house  of  the  citizen  and  the  cabin  of  the  peasant  will  not  feel 
my  wrath,  nor  will  I  lay  waste  your  fields.  Tell  the  good 
denizens  of  this  city — tell  them  not  to  be  afraid  of  me ;  for 
never  shall  I  assail  their  rights  and  privileges,  nor  interfere 
with  their  interests.  And  now,  gentlemen,  let  us  proceed!" 
He  quickly  crossed  the  room,  and  entered  the  adjoining 
apartment. 


SANS-SOUCI.  77 

"Sire,  this  is  the  reception-room  of  Frederick  the  Great," 
said  the  castellan,  who  had  followed.  "  On  that  table  lies  the 
full  suit  in  which  his  majesty  gave  his  last  audience — his 
uniform,  his  order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  his  hat  and  sword." 

Napoleon  hastened  to  the  table,  and  seized  the  sword. 
"  Ah,  the  sword  of  Frederick  II.,"  he  exclaimed, with  sparkling 
eyes.  "  He  often  wielded  it  with  a  victorious  hand,  and  that 
hat  covered  a  head  adorned  with  the  laurel- wreath  of  the  poet 
and  the  great  general !  These  are  trophies  that  I  prefer  to 
all  the  treasures  of  Prussia.  What  a  capital  present  for  the 
Invalides,  especially  for  those  who  formed  part  of  the  army  of 
Hanover!  They  will  be  delighted,  no  doubt,  when  they  see 
in  our  possession  the  sword  of  him  who  beat  them  at  Ross- 
bach!  And  as  my  dear  brother,  Frederick  William  III.,  has 
conferred  the  order  of  the  Black  Eagle  on  me,  I  suppose  he 
will  permit  me  to  take  this  decoration  as  a  souvenir  of  the 
greatest  king  of  the  house  of  Hohenzollern.  What  about  the 
bell  that  is  placed  beside  the  hat?" 

"  Sire,"  said  the  castellan,  mournfully  and  hesitatingly,  "  it 
is  the  bell  which  the  king  used  during  his  whole  reign  to  call 
the  gentlemen  waiting  in  the  anteroom,  and  the  footmen  at 
night." 

"  That  bell  shall  stand  henceforward  in  my  cabinet  and  on 
my  desk,"  said  Napoleon.  "Grand  marshal,  order  all  these 
things  to  be  packed  up  and  to  be  sent  immediately  to  Paris, 
and  add  to  them  also  the  clock  in  the  other  room — the  clock 
that  was  so  faithful  to  the  great  king  as  to  stop  at  his  death, 
and  to  refuse  to  mark  the  time  for  any  one  else.  I  will  wind 
it  up,  and  the  clock  of  Frederick  the  Great  must  strike  again 
for  me.  Conduct  us  to  the  other  rooms,  castellan." 

The  old  man  cast  a  long  and  melancholy  look  on  the 
precious  relics  that  were  about  to  be  taken  from  him,  and 
took  leave  of  them  with  a  profound  sigh.  He  then  conducted 
the  party  to  the  other  rooms.  lie  showed  them  the  library, 
where  Frederick,  during  the  last  years  of  his  life,  had  spent 
every  hour  when  not  occupied  with  government  affairs,  long- 
ing for  no  other  society  than  that  of  his  books.  He  then  took 
them  to  the  rooms  in  which  Voltaire  had  lived,  and  showed 
the  emperor  a  paper  on  which  the  king  had  written  verses 
that  Voltaire  had  corrected  and  revised.  Napoleon  contem- 
plated every  thing  with  the  greatest  attention,  and  then 
caused  himself  to  be  conducted  to  the  fine  long  hall,  in  which 
Frederick,  accompanied  by  his  dog,  used  to  take  his  daily 


78  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

walk  when  the  weather  was  too  bad  for  him  to  do  so  in  the 
open  air.  The  walls  of  this  hall  were  adorned  with  many 
paintings  and  engravings — all,  however,  did  not  apparently 
belong  to  the  period  of  Frederick ;  for  there  were  among  them 
paintings  and  engravings  representing  his  last  hours,  and  his 
lonely  nocturnal  funeral. — Others  again  depicted  the  scene  of 
young  Frederick  William  II.  standing  by  the  corpse  of  his 
great  uncle,  and  swearing  with  tearful  eyes,  his  hand  placed 
on  the  head  of  Frederick,  that  he  would  be  a  just  and  good 
ruler  to  his  people. 

"  And  what  does  this  picture  represent?"  asked  Napoleon, 
pointing  to  an  engraving  by  the  side  of  the  above-mentioned 
painting. 

"Sire,"  said  the  castellan,  in  confusion,  "it  is  a  copper- 
plate, representing  the  king's  tomb.  It  does  not  properly 
belong  here,  but  has  been  placed  here  temporarily.  The 
artist  sent  it  hither  with  the  request  to  place  it  somewhere  in 
Sans-souci,  and  I  hung  it  up  in  this  place  until  my  master 
disposes  of  it  in  some  other  way." 

"  But  what  about  this  one?"  asked  the  emperor,  whose 
piercing  eyes  were  fixed  on  another  engraving.  "  There  is 
the  tomb  of  Frederick;  two  men,  in  full  uniform,  are  stand- 
ing by  its  side ;  a  beautiful  lady  is  with  them,  and  all  three 
are  raising  their  hands  in  an  odd  manner.  Ah,  ah,  now  I 
comprehend:  that  is  last  year's  scene,  when  the  Emperor 
Alexander  took  leave  of  the  king  and  queen  at  the  grave  of 
Frederick  the  Great,  and  swore  eternal  friendship  to  them  as 
well  as  eternal  enmity  to  France?  That  is  what  this  engrav- 
ing represents,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  it  is,"  said  the  castellan,  timidly. 

Napoleon,  with  a  flashing  glance,  called  his  marshals  to  his 
side.  "  Behold  there,  gentlemen,  one  of  those  theatrical 
scenes  with  which  people  here  in  Prussia  were  declaiming 
against  me,  while  I  was  silent,  but  arming  against  them," 
said  he  with  a  sneer.  "  If  the  King  of  Prussia  does  not  fulfil 
the  other  oaths  he  has  taken  more  faithfully  than  this  one,  I 
pity  his  people;  but  he  has  incurred  the  retribution  of  the 
gods,  who  insist  on  it  that  men  shall  fulfil  their  promises  or 
they  will  be  crushed.  We  have  seen  enough  of  the  place 
where  Frederick  the  Great  passed  his  life;  let  us  pay  a  last 
visit  to  him  in  his  tomb.  Where  is  it?" 

"In  Potsdam,  sire,  in  the  church  close  to  the  palace." 

"  Very   well.     Come,  gentlemen.     And   you,  castellan,  do 


SANS-SOUCI.  79 

not  forget  that  the  dream  has  not  been  altogether  fulfilled. 
The  'fallen  star'  is  only  a  devouring  fire  to  the  kings  who  bid 
him  defiance,  but  not  to  the  people  who  obediently  submit." 
He  nodded,  stepped  from  the  hall  into  the  anteroom,  and 
then  into  the  vestibule,  where  the  horses  were  ready  for  him 
and  his  suite. 

The  old  man  gazed  mournfully  after  the  brilliant  cavalcade. 
"  He  looks  like  a  marble  statue,"  he  muttered,  "  and  I  believe 
that  he  has  no  heart  in  his  breast.  Every  thing  in  him  is 
made  of  stone.  If  he  had  a  heart,  he  would  not  dare  to  come 
hither  and  appropriate  with  a  rapacious  hand  the  sacred  relics 
of  our  great  king.  I  must  really  go  and  see  whether  his  com- 
mands to  that  effect  will  be  carried  out  or  not."  And  he  left 
the  hall  with  youthful  alacrity,  hastening  through  the  apart- 
ments back  to  the  reception-room. 

Yes,  the  commands  had  been  obeyed!  The  hat  and  sword, 
the  order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  and  the  bell,  had  disappeared. 
The  old  castellan  uttered  a  groan,  and  proceeded  to  the  sit- 
ting-room. His  anxious  eyes  glanced  at  the  spot  where  the 
clock  had  stood.  That  was  also  gone.  But  he  heard  men 
talking  and  laughing  in  the  anteroom,  and  when  he  hastened 
hither,  he  saw  some  of  the  emperor's  servants,  who,  in  com- 
pliance with  the  orders  of  the  grand  marshal,  were  engaged 
in  packing  up  the  relics  in  a  basket,  and  jesting  at  what  they 
called  the  strange  and  insignificant  spoils  which  the  emperor 
had  obtained  here.  The  white-haired  servants  of  Frederick 
the  Great  were  standing  close  by,  and  witnessing  with  tearful 
eyes  the  removal  of  treasures  so  sacred  on  account  of  the 
reminiscences  connected  with  them.  The  men  were  just  en- 
gaged in  placing  the  clock  on  the  other  articles  in  a  basket. 
The  castellan  approached  hurriedly  and  placing  his  hand  on 
the  dial,  said  in  a  low  voice,  "Farewell!  The  eyes  of  Fred- 
erick the  Great  have  often  gazed  at  you.  His  eyes  were  also 
stars,  but  not  fallen  stars,  and  they  did  not  scorch  and  burn, 
but  rendered  the  people  happy.  Farewell,  faithful  clock, 
that  stopped  with  grief  in  the  last  hour  of  my  king!  When 
his  last  hour  comes,  announce  it  loudly  and  joyously,  and  com- 
mence going  again,  for  the  worst  time  will  be  over  then,  and 
the  fallen  star  will  cease  burning.  Farewell,  and  strike  that 
hour  as  soon  as  possible!"  * 

*  The  clock  remained  In  Napoleon's  possession  and  accompaniiHl  him  to  St. 
Helena.  It  stood  on  the  mantelpiece  in  his  small  parlor,  and  is  mentioned  in  his 
will.  He  bequeathed  it  to  his  son,  the  Duke  de  Reichstadt,  in  the  following  words  : 
"The  clock  which  always  awakened  me  In  the  morning;  it  belonged  to  Frederick 


80  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Looking  even  more  gloomy  than  on  leaving  the  city,  the 
emperor  rode  with  his  suite  again  through  the  deserted,  silent 
streets  of  Potsdam.  The  brilliant  cavalcade  moved  as  slowly 
and  solemnly  as  a  funeral  procession  toward  the  church,  the 
lower  vault  of  which  contained  the  coffin  with  the  remains  of 
Frederick.  The  sexton  and  his  assistants,  bearing  the  large 
bunch  of  keys  and  a  blazing  torch,  conducted  the  emperor 
through  the  dark  and  silent  corridors,  and  opened  the  heavy, 
clanking  iron  doors  leading  into  the  vault.  Napoleon  en- 
tered. For  a  moment  he  stood  still  on  the  threshold  and 
gazed  in  surprise  at  its  plain,  gloomy  vault,  the  walls  of  which 
were  not  adorned  with  trophies,  nor  with  any  decorations 
whatever,  and  at  that  humble  wooden  coffin,  which  stood  so 
bare  and  solitary  in  the  middle  of  the  sombre  room.  Behind 
him  were  his  marshals,  who  looked  at  the  strange  scene  with 
an  air  of  curiosity  and  astonishment. 

"  Ah,"  said  Napoleon,  gently  turning  his  head  toward  them, 
and  pointing  with  his  right  hand  to  the  coffin,  "  a  man  must 
have  distinguished  himself  by  many  great  deeds,  and  obtained 
immortal  glory,  to  need  thus  no  earthly  pomp  and  splendor!" 

He  approached  closely  to  the  coffin ;  folding  his  arms  on  his 
breast,  his  lips  firmly  compressed,  he  gazed  long  and  stead- 
fastly at  it.  The  blaze  of  the  torch  shed  a  bright  light  on 
his  face,  and  as  his  pale  head  alone  was  distinctly  visible  in 
the  darkness,  the  beholders  might  have  believed  one  of  the 
marble  statues  of  the  Caesars  on  the  terrace  of  Sans-souci,  had 
descended  from  its  pedestal  in  order  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  dead 
king. 

After  a  long  pause  Napoleon's  eye  resumed  its  wonted  brill- 
iancy. He  pointed  with  a  strange  smile  at  the  dust  covering 
the  lid  of  the  coffin.  "  Dust  without  and  dust  within !  tkat 
within  was  a  great  king  and  a  hero;  yet  that  without  is  more 
lasting  than  the  oaths  which  the  Emperor  Alexander  swore 
here  a  year  ago,  with  Frederick  William  and  the  beautiful 
Louisa.  Even  the  kiss  which  Alexander  imprinted  at  that 
time  on  the  coffin  of  Frederick  is  no  longer  visible;  dust  has 

II.,  and  I  appropriated  it  in  Potsdam."  The  bell  he  also  bequeathed  to  his  son. 
Many  conflicting  statements  have  been  made  concerning  the  sword  Napoleon  took. 
It  was  certainly  not  the  sword  which  Frederick  had  worn  to  the  last.  The  latter  had 
a  leathern  scabbard  which,  in  several  defective  places,  had  been  repaired  with  seal- 
ing-wax because  Frederick  found  this  to  be  less  expensive  than  to  have  it  repaired 
by  a  harness-maker.  The  king  had  taken  this  sword  along,  when,  in  September, 
1806,  he  repaired  with  the  queen  to  the  headquarters  of  the  army  ;  it  accompanied 
him  during  his  flight,  and  was  safely  brought  back  by  him.  It  was  afterward  at  the 
"  Kunstkammer "  in  Berlin.  The  sword  which  Napoleon  sent  to  Paris  had  been 
presented  to  Frederick  by  Peter  III.  of  Russia,  who.  it  is  well  known,  was  an  ardent 
admirer  of  the  great  king.  Blucher,  in  1814,  brought  it  back  from  Paris. 


SANS-SOUCI.  81 

covered  it,  and  equalized  every  thing."  Thus  speaking,  he 
drew  lines  with  his  hand;  without  knowing  it,  perhaps,  his 
finger  traced  a  large  JV  in  the  dust  of  the  royal  coffin.  He 
then  hastily  left  the  dark  vault  to  return  to  the  palace.* 

The  emperor  paced  the  room  a  long  while,  his  hands 
clasped  on  his  back ;  he  then  rang  the  bell  impetuously,  and 
sent  for  the  chief  of  his  cabinet,  M.  de  Menneval. 

"Be  seated,"  said  he,  as  soon  as  that  functionary  made  his 
appearance ;  "  take  my  pen,  I  will  dictate  to  you  my  eigh- 
teenth bulletin."  f 

M.  de  Menneval  sat  down  at  the  desk.  Napoleon  walked 
slowly  up  and  down,  and  dictated  in  a  loud,  stern  voice  as 
follows:  "The  emperor  arrived  in  Potsdam  on  the  25th  of 
October,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  the  royal  palace.  He 
visited  on  the  first  day  Sans-souci  and  the  environs  of  Pots- 
dam, spending  some  time  in  the  rooms  of  Frederick  II., 
where  every  thing  is  still  in  the  same  condition  as  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  In  the  arsenal  at  Berlin,  five  hundred  cannon, 
several  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  powder,  and  several 
thousand  muskets,  were  found  in  excellent  condition.  It  has 
been  noticed  as  a  singular  coincidence  that  the  emperor  ar- 
rived in  Potsdam  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  hour,  and 
occupied  the  same  rooms,  as  the  Emperor  of  Russia  during 
the  latter's  visit — a  visit  last  year  which  has  had  such  fatal 
consequences  for  Prussia.  Since  that  moment  the  queen  has 
forgotten  to  take  care  of  her  domestic  affairs,  and  of  the  most 
important  duties  of  the  toilet,  in  order  to  occupy  herself  with 
politics,  gain  power  over  the  king,  and  spread  everywhere  the 
evil  influence  which  possesses  her.  The  result  of  that  famous 
oath  which  was  taken  on  the  4th  of  November,  1805,  is  the 
battle  of  Austerlitz,  and  the  speedy  evacuation  of  Germany  by 
the  Kussiau  army  in  the  manner  prescribed  by  France. 
Forty-eight  hours  afterward  that  oath  at  the  coffin  of  Fred- 
erick the  Great  was  made  the  subject  of  a  copper-plate,  which 
is  to  be  found  in  all  the  shops,  and  even  causes  the  peasants  to 
laugh.  On  it  is  represented  the  handsome  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia; by  his  side  the  queen,  and  opposite  him  the  king,  who 
lifts  up  his  hand  over  the  coffin;  the  queen,  wrapped  in  a 
shawl,  like  lady  Hamilton,  as  seen  on  the  London  copper- 

•  One  of  Horace  Vernet's  most  beautiful  paintings  represents  this  visit  of  Napo- 
leon paid  to  the  srave  of  Frederick  the  Great 

t  Napoleon  wrote  or  dictated  all  his  bulletins  without  consulting  any  one  in  re- 
gard to  them.  After  being  dictated,  the  bulletins  were,  however,  submitted  to 
Talleyrand,  who  took  good  care  to  make  no  alteration. 


82  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

plates,  places  her  hand  on  her  heart,  and  seems  to  look  at  the 
Emperor  of  Eussia.  It  is  incomprehensible  how  the  Berlin 
police  could  permit  the  circulation  of  so  base  a  satire.  At  all 
events,  the  shade  of  Frederick  cannot  have  contemplated  this 
scandalous  scene  but  with  indignation  and  disgust.  His  mind, 
his  genius,  his  wishes,  belong  to  the  French  nation,  which  he 
esteemed  so  highly,  and  of  which  he  said  that,  if  he  were  its 
king,  no  cannon  should  be  discharged  in  Europe  without  his 
permission.  On  his  return  from  Sans-souci  the  emperor 
visited  also  the  tomb  of  Frederick  the  Great.  The  remains 
of  this  great  man  are  reposing  in  a  wooden  coffin,  covered 
with  one  of  copper,  and  in  a  vault  devoid  of  drapery,  trophies, 
or  any  thing  that  might  remind  the  beholder  of  his  heroic 
deeds.  The  emperor  has  presented  the  Hotel  des  Invalides  at 
Paris  with  the  sword  of  Frederick,  with  his  insignia  of  the 
order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  as  well  as  with  the  stands  of  colors 
used  by  the  king's  lifeguards  in  the  Seven  Years'  War.  The 
veterans  will  receive  with  reverent  awe  every  thing  that  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  greatest  generals  known  in  history."  * 


CHAPTER    X. 

NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN. 

THE  city  of  Berlin  had  not  exhibited  for  many  years  so  fes- 
tive and  lively  a  spectacle  as  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of 
October.  An  immense  crowd  was  moving  across  the  Palace 
Place,  Broad  Street,  and  the  Linden,  toward  the  Brandenburg 
Gate,  and  forming  in  line  on  both  sides  of  the  street.  Thou- 
sands of  boys  and  youths  climbed  the  linden-trees,  that  stand 
in  two  rows  in  the  middle  of  this  thoroughfare,  causing  the 
trees  to  move  to  and  fro  under  their  heavy  burden,  and  gazed 
with  eyes  full  of  curiosity  from  their  lofty  position  on  the 
bustle  reigning  beneath.  Through  the  crowd  hundreds  of 
busy  figures  were  gliding,  standing  still  here  and  there,  and 
addressing  the  people  in  low  and  impressive  tones;  now  and 
then,  however,  they  did  not  content  themselves  with  mere 
words,  but  to  some  handed  pieces  of  money,  and  whispered, 
"  Drink  the  emperor's  health,  in  order  that  your  throats  may 
be  prepared,  when  he  makes  his  entry,  to  shout  in  stentorian 
tones,  '  Vive  VEmpereur! ' 

•Qoujon,  "Collection  des  Bulletins  de  Napoleon,"  vol.  xvii.,  Bulletin  xviii. 


NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN.  83 

These  liberal  aherente  of  Napoleon  were  agents  of  the 
French  police,  already  fully  organized  in  Berlin — the  hire- 
lings of  General  Clarke,  who  was  now  governor  of  the  capital, 
and  treated  the  subjugated  inhabitants  with  all  the  haughti- 
ness and  scorn  of  a  triumphant  conqueror. 

Many  tears  were  shed  in  the  city  during  these  days — many 
imprecations  uttered,  but  only  secretly  and  in  a  low  voice,  for 
the  people  could  not  venture  to  provoke  the  anger  of  the  vic- 
tor, but  had  to  bear  whatever  burdens  he  imposed  on  them. 
The  odds  were  too  heavy;  the  army  was  defeated;  the  king 
with  his  court  had  fled ;  the  higher  functionaries  had  either 
concealed  themselves  or  loudly  declared  their  willingness  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Emperor  of  the  French,  and 
to  serve  him  as  their  master. 

What  remained,  therefore,  for  the  poor  inhabitants  of  Ber- 
lin but  to  submit?  All  had  deserted  them ;  even  the  governor 
had  escaped,  and  his  lieutenant,  the  Prince  von  Hatzfeld, 
seemed  to  have  no  other  task  than  to  admonish  them  to  be 
quiet  and  obedient,  and  to  implore  them  to  undertake,  utter, 
and  even  think  nothing  that  might  be  distasteful  to  the  new 
French  government;  but  to  bow  willingly  and  cheerfully  to 
every  thing  that  the  conqueror  might  demand. 

The  citizens,  therefore,  had  bowed  to  their  fate;  they  had 
submitted  silently,  and  now  hastened  to  the  Linden  and  the 
Brandenburg  Gate  to  witness  the  entry  of  the  emperor. 
Not  only  the  citizens  and  the  people  generally  desired  to 
witness  this  entry — the  higher  classes,  and  even  the  ladies, 
were  anxious  to  do  so.  Every  one  felt  that  a  great  histor- 
ical event  was  to  transpire,  and  eagerly  desired  to  behold  the 
celebrated  man  who  was  hated  and  admired  at  the  same  time; 
who  was  cursed  as  an  enemy,  and  yet  glorified  on  account  of 
his  heroic  deeds.  The  streets  and  trees  were  filled  with 
spectators;  and  the  windows  of  the  splendid  buildings,  from 
the  ground-floor  up  to  the  attic,  were  crowded,  and  even  the 
roofs  had  been  opened  here  and  there  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining more  room. 

The  Linden  exhibited  a  most  imposing  and  brilliant  spec- 
tacle; still  it  seemed  as  though  the  crowd  were  to  celebrate  a 
funeral  pageant,  and  as  though  they  had  come  as  mourners 
for  such  an  occasion.  Nowhere  joyous  faces  were  to  be  seen — 
nowhere  were  heard  outbursts  of  mirth,  or  those  gay,  amusing 
remarks  with  which  the  populace  of  Berlin  seldom  fail  to 
season  a  festival.  The  faces  of  the  people  were  grave  and 


84  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

gloomy ;  and  the  ladies,  standing  at  the  open  windows,  were 
not  festively  adorned,  but  wore  black  dresses,  and  black  veils 
fell  from  their  heads. 

Suddenly  the  bells  on  all  the  steeples  commenced  ringing, 
and  the  booming  of  artillery  announced  to  the  spectators,  who 
had  patiently  awaited  this  moment  from  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  till  four  in  the  afternoon,  that  the  emperor  was  ap- 
proaching the  Brandenburg  Gate  from  Charlottenburg.  The 
thousands  assembled  maintained  a  breathless  silence ;  even  the 
trees  did  not  move,  for  the  restless  boys  who  had  climbed  them 
seemed  petrified  with  astonishment  at  the  extraordinary  spec- 
tacle. The  men,  who  were  now  entering  the  gate,  were  not 
such  soldiers  as  the  people  of  Berlin  had  hitherto  been  accus- 
tomed to  see.  They  were  not  fine-looking,  neat  young  men 
in  handsome  uniforms,  with  bright  leather  belts,  stiff  cravats, 
and  well-powdered  pigtails,  but  soldiers  of  strange  and  truly 
marvellous  appearance.  Their  complexion  was  dark- brown, 
and  their  eyes  flashing  as  dagger-points.  Instead  of  wigs  and 
pigtails,  they  wore  gaudily-colored  turbans;  instead  of  close- 
fitting  uniforms,  wide  red  trousers  and  dark  jackets,  richly 
embroidered  with  gold;  curved  sabres  were  hanging  at  their 
sides,  and  their  small,  vigorous,  and  agile  forms  harmonized 
perfectly  with  their  splendid  Arabian  steeds,  on  which  these 
sons  of  the  desert,  the  emperor's  Mamelukes,  were  mounted. 

Behind  them  came  another  corps.  It  consisted  of  tall, 
broad-shouldered  men,  looking  as  formidable  as  Cyclops,  with 
bearded,  bronzed  faces;  their  heads  covered  with  high  bear- 
skin caps;  their  breasts  veiled  by  large  leather  aprons,  reach- 
ing down  to  their  knees;  on  their  shoulders  enormous 
hatchets,  flashing  in  the  sun  like  burnished  silver.  And 
behind  these  sappers  came  the  famous  grenadiers  of  the  guard, 
infantry  as  well  as  cavalry;  next,  the  riflemen  of  Vincenues, 
in  their  green  uniforms;  and,  finally,  the  bands  playing 
merry  airs.  The  drum-major  hurled  his  enormous  cane  with 
its  large  silver  head  into  the  air,  and  the  soul-stirring  notes 
of  the  "  Marseillaise"  resounded  through  the  spacious  street. 
Hitherto  nobody  in  Berlin  had  been  permitted  to  play  *>r  sing 
this  forbidden  melody,  with  which  France  had  formerly  ac- 
companied her  bloodiest  orgies;  only  secretly  and  softly  had 
the  people  hummed  it  into  each  other's  ears;  the  most  strin- 
gent orders,  issued  by  the  police,  had  banished  it  from  the 
concert-halls  as  well  as  from  the  streets.  The  emperor,  per- 
haps, was  aware  of  this,  and  it  was  probably  for  tins  reason 


NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN.  85 

that  he  had  ordered  it  to  be  played;  or,  perhaps,  the  son  of 
the  revolution,  on  making  his  entry  into  the  capital  of  a 
"king  by  the  grace  of  God,"  wished  to  remind  the  people,  by 
this  hymn  of  the  terrorists,  that  it  was  unnecessary  to  be  born 
under  a  royal  canopy  in  order  to  wear  a  crown  and  to  be  the 
anointed  of  the  Lord. 

But  no  one  listened  to  this  proscribed  and  fearful  melody. 
All  the  thousands  in  the  streets,  on  the  trees,  at  the  windows, 
and  on  the  roofs,  were  paralyzed  with  amazement,  and  looked 
wonderingly  at  the  new  order  of  things.  They  who  had 
hitherto  seen  and  known  only  proud  officers,  mounted  on 
horseback,  staring  at  every  citizen  with  supercilious  glances, 
and  chastising  their  men  for  every  trifle — they  who  had  always 
received  the  impression  that  army  officers  were  exalted  person- 
ages, to  whom  they  had  to  bow,  who  never  ought  to  walk  on 
foot,  or  carry  any  burden  whatever — now  saw  before  them  the 
officers  of  the  imperial  guard  differing  but  slightly  from  the 
privates,  and  not  only  on  foot,  like  them,  but  carrying  heavy 
knapsacks  on  their  backs;  and,  what  caused  still  greater  as- 
tonishment, here  and  there  kindly  chatting  with  their  men 
during  the  march. 

But  suddenly  there  arose  a  tremendous  commotion  between 
the  pillars  of  the  Brandenburg  Gate,  and  the  host  of  marshals 
and  generals,  resembling  a  star-spangled  avalanche,  entered 
the  city.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  golden  epaulettes, 
orders  glittering  with  diamonds,  embroidered  uniforms,  and 
long  white  ostrich-plumes.  Not  on  them,  however,  were  the 
eyes  of  the  crowd  fixed ;  they  gazed  only  at  that  grave,  pale 
man,  who  rode  by  himself  at  the  head  of  the  dazzliug  suite. 
He  wore  no  orders,  no  golden  epaulettes,  no  ostrich-plumes. 
Plain  and  unpretending  was  his  green  uniform  with  its  white 
facings;  unadorned  was  his  small  three-cornered  hat.  He  sat 
carelessly  and  proudly  on  his  magnificent  charger,  which, 
prancing  and  rearing,  seemed  to  greet  the  crowd.  The  rider's 
features  were  as  immovable  as  if  made  of  stone;  his  eyes 
occasionally,  however,  bent  a  piercing  glance  on  the  multi- 
tude, and  then  gazed  again  into  vacancy — the  living  emperor 
was  transformed  once  more  into  one  of  the  marble  triumpha- 
tors  of  ancient  Roman  history.  He  acknowledged,  in  a  cold 
and  indifferent  manner  only,  the  constantly -repeated  shouts 
of  "  Vive  V Empereur !  "  with  which  the  boys  in  the  trees, 
the  hired  men  in  the  streets,  and  the  agents  of  the  police, 
saluted  him  at  every  step.  To  him  these  cries  seemed  to  be 


86  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  usual  and  indispensable  musical  accompaniment  to  the 
step  of  his  horse ;  he  did  not  take  notice  of  it  when  he  heard 
it  in  his  progress;  he  missed  it  only  when  it  did  not  rend 
the  air. 

The  emperor  rode  on,  moody,  quiet,  and  cold ;  but  scrutiniz- 
ing and  vivid  were  the  glances  which  the  marshals  and  the  rest 
of  his  suite  cast  in  all  directions.  They  seemed  to  be  anxious 
to  observe  the  inhabitants,  and  to  greet  the  lovely  women  who 
were  adorning  the  windows  of  the  houses  like  garlands  of 
flowers.  But  those  beautiful  women  did  not  return  their  salu- 
tations, and  the  victorious  generals  saw  what  they  had  rarely 
seen — that  the  ladies  did  not  accept  their  homage — that  they 
looked  down  on  them  with  grave,  mournful  mien — nay,  that 
most  of  those  charming  faces  were  bathed  in  tears,  not  such 
as  well  from  joy,  but  from  grief  and  anger. 

Napoleon  had  taken  as  little  notice  of  the  jubilant  cheers 
of  the  crowd  as  of  the  tears  of  the  ladies.  He  rode  on,  ab- 
sorbed in  his  reflections,  toward  the  royal  palace.  The  bells 
of  the  cathedral — in  the  lower  vaults  of  which  the  remains  of 
the  royal  family  were  reposing;  in  the  upper  halls  of  which 
the  solemn  wedding  ceremonies  of  the  kings  and  princes  and 
princesses  of  Prussia  had  always  been  celebrated — greeted 
with  joyous  notes  the  triumphant  enemy,  and  the  doors  of  the 
palace  opened  to  him.  In  the  brilliant  halls  in  which 
formerly  the  submissive  vassals  and  functionaries  of  the  king 
had  done  homage  to  their  sovereign,  were  now  assembled  the 
same  persons,  as  well  as  the  officers  and  cavaliers  of  the  court, 
to  receive  the  French  emperor  as  their  sovereign  and  master. 
There  were  in  those  halls  seven  ministers  of  the  king,  the 
members  of  the  municipality  of  Berlin,  with  the  two  burgo- 
masters ;  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  clergy  of  both  confessions, 
and  the  officers  of  the  different  tribunals;  the  members  of  the 
royal  household,  headed  by  the  king's  master  of  ceremonies, 
Count  von  Neale.  And  all  these  gentlemen  had  come  to  pre- 
sent their  respects  to  the  man  who  had  routed  their  army, 
driven  their  king  and  queen  from  the  capital,  and  trans- 
formed their  city  into  a  French  prefecture. 

The  broad  folding-doors  opened,  and  the  grand  marshal 
walked  through  the  halls,  crying  in  a  ringing  voice,  "  His 
majesty  the  emperor!"  A  profound  and  solemn  silence  en- 
sued. The  eyes  of  all  were  turned  toward  the  door  by  which 
the  emperor  was  to  enter.  He  appeared  on  the  threshold,  as 
impassive  as  ever.  But  the  silence  continued;  the  shouts 


NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN.  87 

of  "  Vive  rEmpereur  !  "  which  had  greeted  Napoleon  in  the 
streets,  had  not  penetrated  within  the  white  hall,  where  the 
statues  of  the  llohenzollerns  were  standing.  But  this  silent 
greeting,  which  might  seem  too  much  to  the  ancestors  of  the 
king,  did  not  satisfy  the  little  soul  of  the  proud  conqueror. 
The  grand  marshal  approached  to  introduce  the  master  of 
ceremonies,  Count  von  Neale,  and  to  inquire  whether  the  lat- 
ter would  be  allowed  to  present  the  several  dignitaries  to  his 
majesty. 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "you  are  the  Count  von  Neale, 
whose  daughter  is  so  enthusiastic  and  warlike  an  Amazon.* 
The  women  of  Berlin,  headed  by  your  queen,  were  bent  upon 
having  war;  behold  the  result!  You  ought  to  keep  your 
family  in  bounds,  sir;  you  ought  not  to  permit  your  children 
to  indulge  in  such  senseless  military  tirades.  Assuredly,  I  do 
not  want  war — not  that  I  am  distrustful  of  my  own  strength, 
but  because  the  blood  of  my  subjects  is  too  precious  to  me, 
and  because  it  is  my  first  duty  to  shed  it  only  for  their  honor 
and  security.  The  population  of  Berlin  is  only  a  victim  of 
the  war,  while  the  instigators  of  the  hostilities  between  France 
and  Prussia  have  escaped.  But  I  will  humiliate  and  impover- 
ish the  court-aristocracy,  who  dared  to  oppose  me,  and  make 
them  beg  their  bread  in  foreign  lauds." 

The  Count  von  Neale,  pale  and  trembling,  stammered  a 
few  unintelligible  words  and  intended  to  withdraw,  withered 
and  crushed  by  the  emperor's  anger.  But  the  searching  eyes 
of  Napoleon  were  firmly  and  steadfastly  fixed  on  him,  and,  as 
if  guessing  his  innermost  thoughts,  he  said,  in  a  cold,  dis- 
dainful voice,  "  Remain  and  do  your  duty!"  The  Count  von 
Neale,  therefore,  was  obliged  to  stay;  he  had  to  introduce  to 
the  emperor  the  officials  and  dignitaries,  after  the  chancellor 
had  previously  presented  to  him  the  seven  ministers  of  Prussia. 

The  persons  ordered  to  appear  at  this  audience  had  formed 
in  line  on  both  sides  of  the  white  hall,  and  the  emperor 
walked  slowly  across  the  wide  apartment,  while  the  Count  von 
Neale,  who  was  immediately  behind  him,  announced  in  aloud 
voice  the  names  and  positions  of  those  standing  in  the  first 
line. 

"Sire,"  he  said,  pointing  to  two  gentlemen,  adorned  with 
costly  golden  chains,  standing  in  front  of  the  line,  "sire,  the 

*The  French  police  had  captured,  a  few  days  previous  to  tho  comrrK'ncempnt  of 
the  war.  a  letter,  written  by  the  younif  Countess  von  Neale.  containing  the  following 
passage  :  "  Napoleon  does  not  want  war  ;  he  must  be  compelled  to  wage  it."  Nnpo- 
leon  had  read  this  letter. 


88  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

two  burgomasters  and  the  members  of  the  municipality  of 
Berlin." 

"I  know  these  gentlemen,"  said  Napoleon,  and  his  face 
assumed  a  milder  air.  "  Both  of  you  belonged  to  the  deputa- 
tion that  wished  to  present  to  me  at  Potsdam  the  keys  of  Ber- 
lin. You  assured  me  at  that  time  that  the  rumors  which  had 
been  circulated  with  regard  to  this  city  were  entirely  un- 
founded ;  that  the  citizens  and  the  mass  of  the  people  had 
been  opposed  to  the  war,  and  that  there  was  not  one  sensible 
man  who  had  not  clearly  foreseen  the  dangers  threatening  the 
country.  I  have  now  seen  at  my  entry  that  you  were  right ; 
the  good  people  of  this  city  are  not  to  blame  for  this  war,  and 
only  a  handful  of  old  women  and  young  officers  brought  about 
this  mischief.  The  visit  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  is  the 
cause  of  the  events  which  have  proved  so  disastrous  to  Prus- 
sia; and  next,  the  change  which  that  visit  produced  in  the 
feelings  of  the  queen,  who,  from  a  timid  and  modest  lady, 
was  quickly  transformed  into  a  restless  and  warlike  Amazon. 
She  suddenly  insisted  on  having  a  regiment  of  her  own,  and 
on  being  present  at  the  meetings  of  the  council  of  state;  she 
directed  the  affairs  of  the  government  so  skilfully  as  to  bring 
it  in  a  few  days  to  the  verge  of  ruin.  I  shall  assuredly  know 
how  to  distinguish  those  who  instigated  the  war  from  those 
who  tried  to  avoid  it.  I  shall  chastise  the  former  and  reward 
the  latter.  Had  your  king  not  been  so  weak — had  he  not 
allowed  himself  to  be  led  by  a  faction  which,  oblivious  of  the 
true  welfare  of  the  state  and  of  the  sovereign,  did  their  best 
to  exasperate  him  against  me,  he  would  not  be  where  he  is. 
But  my  enemies  endeavored  to  intimidate  him,  and  managed 
to  frighten  him  by  all  sorts  of  demonstrations.  You,  gentle- 
men of  the  municipality,  ought  to  have  taken  steps  to  inform 
the  king  correctly  of  the  opposition  of  the  citizens  of  Berlin 
to  a  war  with  France.  You  will  take  care  now  to  preserve 
good  order  in  the  capital." 

"Sire,"  ventured  the  first  burgomaster,  in  a  timid  and 
humble  voice,  "  your  majesty  has  seen  to-day,  from  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  citizens,  what  spirit  is  animating  them." 

The  emperor  bent  a  rapid,  inquiring  glance  on  him,  and 
seemed  not  to  have  heard  his  words.  "  As  a  matter  of  course," 
said  Napoleon,  in  a  loud  and  angry  voice,  "  no  more  windows 
must  be  broken  by  the  mob !  You  have  to  see  to  it  that  such 
brutalities  do  not  occur  again.  My  brother  the  King  of 
Prussia  ceased  to  be  king  on  the  day  when  he  did  not  cause 


NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN.  89 

Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  to  be  hung  for  instigating  the  mob 
to  break  the  windows  of  his  ministers." 

Napoleon  walked  on  without  giving  time  to  the  burgo- 
master for  a  reply  or  justification;  and  when  the  Count  von 
Neale  presented  to  him  the  members  of  the  tribunals,  his 
brow  was  serene,  and  his  face  assumed  the  gentle,  winning  air 
which  always  exercised  so  irresistible  an  influence  on  those  on 
whom  the  sunshine  of  his  imperial  kindness  shed  its  rays. 

The  emperor  conversed  with  these  gentlemen  about  the 
peculiarities  of  the  administration  of  justice  in  Prussia,  and 
listened  to  their  replies  and  explanations  with  polite  attention. 

"  Your  administration  of  justice  seems  to  contain  many  ex- 
cellent features,"  said  he,  musingly.  "Your  laws  have  a 
splendid  foundation  of  equality,  and  cannot  be  arbitrarily 
perverted  and  abused  to  shield  wrong  and  injustice.  I  am 
astonished  that,  with  this  code  of  Frederick  II.  in  your  hand, 
you  were  not  able  to  render  harmless  and  silence  forever  all 
those  seditious  and  revolutionary  spirits  that  recently  infested 
Berlin,  and  now  have  made  Prussia  so  unhappy.  But,  instead 
of  suppressing  this  agitation  in  time,  you  looked  on  idly,  while 
miserable  scribblers  and  journalists,  influenced  by  women, 
constantly  added  fuel  to  the  fire.  I  have  been  told  of  a  con- 
temptible journal  in  this  city  which  is  said  to  have  preached 
war  against  France  with  a  rabid  fanaticism.  You  ought  to 
have  silenced  the  madman  who  edited  it.  Why  did  not  you 
do  so?" 

"  Sire,  the  laws  of  our  country  do  not  permit  us  to  suppress 
the  free  expression  of  opinion,  and  the  discussion  of  public 
affairs.  So  long  as  the  periodicals,  newspapers,  and  other 
publications,  do  not  attack  the  existing  laws,  or  incite  the 
people  to  riots,  high-treason,  or  sedition,  we  are  not  allowed 
to  interfere  with  them.  Every  citizen  has  the  right  to  utter 
his  opinion  publicly  and  frankly,  provided  he  does  so  in  a 
decent  and  lawful  manner." 

"That  is  to  say,  you  have  a  free  press,"  exclaimed  Na- 
poleon, "  and  grant  to  every  outsider  the  right  of  speaking  of 
things,  about  which  he  does  not  know  any  thing.  With  a 
free  press  no  monarchy  can  be  maintained,  especially  in  times 
of  danger  and  convulsions.  You  see  whither  your  so-called 
free  discussion  of  public  affairs  has  carried  you!  Your  jour- 
nalists preached  war,  and  nothing  but  war;  they  irritated  the 
people,  and  made  the  king  believe  that  they  were  the  organs 
of  public  opinion,  while,  in  fact,  they  were  but  the  echoes  of 


90  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  officers  of  the  guard,  and  of  the  foolish  women  who  were 
bent  on  having  war.  Your  queen  has  used  the  newspapers  as 
a  weapon  to  exasperate  and  excite  her  husband.  Like  Marie 
Antoinette  of  France,  and  Marie  Caroline  of  Naples,  Louisa 
of  Prussia  has  become  the  evil  genius  of  her  country.  The 
Turks  are  perfectly  right  in  keeping  their  women  imprisoned. 
It  is  the  best  that  can  be  done."  He  nodded  to  the  gentle- 
men, and,  passing  on,  allowed  the  Count  von  Neale  to  present 
to  him  the  dignitaries  of  the  Church. 

"  The  members  of  the  clergy,  I  believe,  ought  to  be  content 
with  me,"  said  Napoleon,  with  a  smile,  which  embellished  his 
features  as  with  a  sunshine  of  grace  and  sweetness.  "  It  was 
I  who  restored  the  Church  in  France;  hence,  I  need  not  tell 
you  how  important  and  indispensable  I  believe  religion  and 
the  Church  to  be  for  the  welfare  of  nations.  Great  tasks  and 
great  duties  are  intrusted  to  the  hands  of  the  clergy.  En- 
deavor to  fulfil  them  faithfully,  gentlemen.  Above  all,  avoid 
meddling  with  politics.  Pay  exclusive  attention  to  your  own 
affairs,  and  do  as  the  gospel  commands  you:  'Bender  unto 
Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's.'  " 

He  turned  toward  Mr.  Erman,  counsellor  of  the  supreme 
consistorial  court,  and  dean  of  the  French  congregation,  and 
cast  a  piercing  glance  on  the  venerable,  white-haired  clergy- 
man. 

"You,  above  all,  sir,  should  not  forget  those  words,"  said 
Napoleon,  in  a  loud  voice.  "  For  you  are  a  Frenchman,  and 
it  is  your  duty,  therefore,  wherever  you  may  be,  to  educate 
faithful  and  devoted  subjects  to  your  country.  You  might 
have  done  a  great  deal  of  good  in  this  city  by  your  command- 
ing talents  and  eloquence.  You  ought  to  have  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  population  as  to  their  true  interests  and  the  misery 
that  necessarily  would  be  entailed  on  them  by  a  war  against 
France.  You  failed  to  do  so;  you  were  silent  while  the 
fanatical  war-faction  was  clamoring;  and  while  the  reckless 
pranks  of  the  officers  of  the  guard  were  intimidating  good 
and  sagacious  patriots.  I  know  very  well  that  you  are  not  to 
be  blamed  for  those  excesses,  but  you  ought  to  have  tried  to 
prevent  them.  I  know  the  faction  whose  fanaticism  against 
France  has  done  so  much  mischief.  I  know  that  the  queen 
was  at  the  head  of  it.  As  Marie  Antoinette  once  gained  over 
to  her  side  the  lifeguards  at  that  celebrated  banquet,  Louisa 
did  the  same  with  the  officers  of  the  Prussian  guard.  She  is, 
therefore,  responsible  for  the  savage  war-cries  and  the  crazy 


NAPOLEON'S  ENTRY  INTO  BERLIN.  91 

arrogance  of  the  officers.  This  woman,  who  has  become  as 
fatal  to  her  people  as  was  Helen  to  the  Trojans — this  woman 
is  the  only  cause  of  the  disasters  of  Prussia!" 

His  voice  rolled  like  thunder  through  the  hall ;  his  eyes 
flashed  fire,  and  all  the  beholders,  seized  with  dismay,  turned 
pale  and  cast  down  their  eyes.  Only  old  Counsellor  Erman's 
face  betrayed  no  fear  or  anxiety.  He  looked  at  the  emperor 
with  a  grave  and  almost  angry  air,  and  his  voice  interrupted 
the  ominous  stillness  which  had  followed  Napoleon's  words. 

"  Sire,"  he  said,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  every  one, 
"  your  majesty  says  that  the  queen  is  the  only  cause  of  the 
disasters  of  Prussia — that  she  brought  about  the  war,  and  ex- 
cited and  instigated  the  evil  passions  of  the  reckless!  Sire, 
that  is  not  true !  The  queen  is  as  generous  as  she  is  virtuous!" 

The  assembly  felt  as  if  thrilled  by  an  electric  shock — all 
fixed  their  eyes  timidly  and  anxiously  on  Napoleon — every  one 
held  his  breath  to  hear  his  reply,  and  felt  already  in  advance 
the  most  profound  compassion  for  the  unhappy  old  man  who 
would  be  crushed  with  the  victor's  wrath.  But  the  emperor 
was  silent.  Only  for  a  moment  his  eyes  flashed — and  his 
glances  seemed  to  pierce  through  the  old  man.  Napoleon 
said  nothing.  He  seemed  not  to  have  heard  Erman's  words, 
but  turned  with  perfect  composure  toward  the  Catholic  clergy, 
to  converse  with  them  about  the  interests  of  their  Church. 
He  appeared,  however,  wearied;  passed  in  a  more  hurried 
manner  to  the  rest  who  were  introduced  to  him,  and  evidently 
hastened  to  finish  the  audience.  He  then  greeted  the  assem- 
bly with  a  nod  and  left  the  hall,  followed  by  the  grand 
marshal  and  his  two  chamberlains. 

For  an  instant  all  remained  immovable.  Every  one  felt  as 
if  a  brilliant  meteor  had  flitted  past  him,  and  as  if  his  vision 
were  too  much  dazzled  to  be  able  to  see  any  thing  else.  Then, 
however,  all  turned  their  eyes  once  more  to  Erman,  who  stood 
at  his  place,  calm  and  smiling,  and  looked  almost  compassion- 
ately at  those  who  had  hitherto  called  themselves  his  friends, 
but  were  not  courageous  enough  now  to  approach  him,  and 
avoided  meeting  his  glances.  He  then  quietly  turned,  and, 
followed  by  the  other  clergymen,  walked  toward  the  door. 
But  those  who  had  stood  before  him  hud  also  commenced 
leaving  the  hall,  and  in  consequence  the  passage  was  crowded. 
Erman  suddenly  saw  himself  in  the'midst  of  the  throng,  that 
slowly  moved  onward,  but  it  was  apparently  no  mere  accident 
that  the  crowd  was  densest  around  him.  Some  hastily  seized 


92  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

his  hand;  others  whispered  to  him:  "Flee!  conceal  your- 
self!" Others  again  gazed  at  him  with  eyes  full  of  tenderness 
and  emotion,  and  murmured :  "  We  thank  you  in  the  name 
of  all  the  faithful!"  But  constantly  the  low  words  of  "  Flee! 
conceal  yourself!"  were  repeated.  But  the  venerable  man 
looked  with  a  calm,  proud  smile  at  those  who  surrounded  him, 
and  said  in  a  loud  and  firm  voice,  "  I  will  not  flee !  I  will 
not  conceal  myself!" 

Just  at  the  moment  when  Erman,  followed  by  his  timid 
friends  and  secret  admirers,  was  about  to  cross  the  threshold, 
a  loud  voice  was  heard  to  exclaim,  "  Counsellor  Erman!" 

"  Here  I  am,"  he  replied,  turning  around,  as  well  as  all  the 
rest. 

A  low  murmur  of  horror  pervaded  the  assembly ;  their  faces 
turned  pale,  and  their  brows  were  clouded.  The  moment  so 
much  feared  had  apparently  come — Erman  could  not  escape, 
or  conceal  himself;  for  he  who  had  called  out  his  name  was 
none  other  than  Duroc,  the  emperor's  grand  marshal,  who  had 
evidently  been  sent  by  his  master.  Those  who  hitherto  had 
been  so  anxious  to  leave  the  hall,  and  thronged  so  eagerly 
round  the  courageous  old  man,  now  stood  still,  and  the  grand 
marshal  walked  through  the  opened  ranks  directly  toward 
him.  Every  one  seemed  to  hold  his  breath  to  listen,  and  even 
to  stop  the  pulsations  of  his  heart,  to  hear  the  order  for  Er- 
man's  arrest. 

The  grand  marshal  now  stood  before  Erman,  who  had  seen 
him  coming,  and  advanced  a  step  to  meet  him.  Duroc 
bowed,  and  said  in  a  loud  voice,  "  His  majesty  the  emperor 
has  ordered  me  to  invite  Counsellor  Erman,  of  the  supreme 
consistorial  court,  to  dine  with  him  to-morrow  at  noon.  His 
majesty  desires  me  to  tell  you  that  he  is  anxious  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  a  man  who  is  so  faithful  and  courageous  a 
servant  of  the  royal  family,  and  endowed  with  sufficient  mag- 
nanimity and  boldness  to  defend  the  absent  and  accused.  His 
majesty  has  instructed  me  to  assure  you  that,  far  from  dis- 
approving your  conduct,  he  highly  esteems  and  admires  it, 
for  the  emperor  knows  how  to  appreciate  every  thing  that  is 
high-minded  and  noble." 


NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND.  93 

CHAPTER    XI. 

NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND. 

NAPOLEON  was  rapidly  pacing  his  cabinet.  His  face  was 
pale  and  gloomy ;  his  lips  firmly  compressed,  as  they  always 
were  when  he  was  angry,  and  his  eyes  flashed  with  rage.  He 
held  two  papers  in  his  hand:  one  of  them  was  in  writing,  the 
other  contained  printed  matter;  and,  whenever  his  eyes 
glanced  at  them,  he  clinched  his  small  hand,  adorned  with 
diamonds,  and  crumpled  the  papers. 

The  emperor's  auger,  which  fillel  with  trembling  and  dis- 
may every  one  who  had  to  approach  him  in  such  moments, 
had  no  effect,  however,  on  the  man  who  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  supporting  one  of  his  hands  on  the  table  covered 
with  maps  and  papers,  and  with  the  other  playing  with  the 
lace  frill  protruding  from  his  velvet  waistcoat.  His  small, 
twinkling  eyes  followed  calmly  and  coldly  every  motion  Na- 
poleon  made.  Whenever  his  anger  seemed  to  increase,  a 
scarcely  percepti  ble,  contemptuous  smile  played  on  the  lips  of 
this  man,  and  a  flash  of  hatred,  and,  withal,  of  scorn  burst 
from  his  eyes.  But  this  never  lasted  longer  than  a  moment; 
his  pale  and  sickly  face  immediately  resumed  its  impenetrable 
aspect,  and  the  smile  of  a  polite  courtier  reappeared  on  his 
lips.  This  was  Talleyrand,  first  minister  of  the  emperor — 
Talleyrand,  who  had  originally  served  the  Church  as  a  priest, 
then  the  republic  as  a  minister — who  had  deserted  and  be- 
trayed both  to  become  minister  of  the  empire,  and  to  combat 
and  deny  all  the  principles  he  had  formerly  advocated  and  de- 
clared to  be  necessary  for  the  welfare  of  France. 

"Talleyrand,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  in  an  angry  voice, 
standing  still  in  front  of  the  minister,  "  I  will  set  a  rigorous 
example.  I  will  trample  upon  this  haughty  Prussian  aristoc- 
racy that  still  dares  to  brave  me — I  will  let  it  feel  the  conse- 
quences of  continued  opposition  to  me!  What  audacity  it 
was  for  this  Prince  von  Hatzfeld,  while  I  was  approaching 
with  my  army,  and  already  master  of  Prussia,  to  continue 
sending  information  to  his  fleeing  king  and  to  the  ministers, 
and  to  play  the  spy!  Ah,  I  am  going  to  prove  to  him  that 
his  rank  will  not  protect  him  from  being  punished  according 
to  his  deserts,  and  that  I  have  traitors  and  spies  tried  and 

E — Mt'HLBACU  T"OL.     10 


94  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

sentenced  by  a  court-martial,  whether  they  be  of  the  common 
people  or  the  high-born.  Both  of  us  have  seen  times  when 
the  heads  of  the  nobility  were  knocked  of!  like  poppies  from 
the  stalks;  and  we  will  remind  this  aristocracy,  which  relies 
so  confidently  on  its  ancient  privileges,  of  the  fact  that  such 
times  may  come  for  Prussia  too,  unless  those  high-born  gen- 
tlemen desist  from  their  arrogant  conduct,  and  submit  to  me 
humbly  and  obediently.  Cause  the  Prince  von  Hatzfeld  to 
be  arrested  immediately :  order  a  court-martial  to  meet  within 
twenty-four  hours,  to  try  the  traitor  and  spy.  This  letter 
will  be  proof  sufficient;  nothing  further  is  necessary  to  pass 
sentence  of  death  upon  him." 

"And  will  your  majesty  really  carry  out  the  sentence?" 
asked  Talleyrand,  in  his  soft,  insinuating  voice,  and  with  his 
polite  smile. 

Napoleon  flashed  one  of  his  fiery  glances  at  him.  "  Why 
do  you  put  that  question  to  me?"  he  said,  harshly. 

"  Sire,  because  I  believe  excessive  rigor  might  not  accom- 
plish the  desired  purpose.  Instead  of  humiliating  and  pros- 
trating the  aristocracy,  it  might  bring  about  the  reverse,  and 
incite  them  to  sedition  and  insurrection.  Sometimes  leniency 
does  more  good  than  severity,  and,  at  all  events,  in  applying 
either,  the  character  of  the  nations  to  be  subdued  ought  to  be 
consulted.  The  Italians  are  easily  restrained  by  severe  meas- 
ures, for  they  are,  on  the  whole,  cowardly  and  enervated ;  and, 
when  the  straw-fire  of  their  first  impetuosity  has  gone  out,  they 
feel  enthusiastic  admiration  for  him  who  has  placed  his  foot 
on  their  neck,  and  is  crushing  them.  But  the  Germans  are  a 
more  tenacious  and  phlegmatic  nation.  They  resemble  the 
white  bulls  I  have  seen  in  Italy,  who  fulfil  with  proud  com- 
posure their  daily  task.  When  the  driver  urges  them  but  a 
little  with  the  iron  point  of  the  stick,  they  work  more  actively 
and  obediently ;  but  when  he  wounds  too  deeply,  their  phlegm 
disappears,  and  they  rush  in  fury  against  him  who  has  irri- 
tated them  too  much." 

"  And  you  believe  that  the  German  white  bull  is  already 
irritated?"  asked  Napoleon,  morosely. 

"  Yes,  sire!  It  is  time  to  appease  him,  if  he  is  not  to  grow 
savage  and  furious.  The  execution  of  Palm  has  stirred  up  a 
good  deal  of  ill  feeling,  and  it  would  be  prudent  to  counter- 
act it  as  much  as  possible.  Your  majesty  may  menace  and 
frighten  the  supercilious  and  arrogant  aristocracy  of  Prussia; 
but  when  they  are  trembling  and  terrified,  then  exercise  clem- 


NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND.         95 

ency  and  forbearance,  which  is  the  best  way  of  subduing  the 
refractory." 

The  emperor  made  no  reply,  but  crossed  the  room  re- 
peatedly. He  then  stood  still  once  more  closely  in  front  of 
Talleyrand,  and  looked  him  full  in  the  face. 

"  I  hold  to  my  decision,"  he  said  coldly.  "  I  must  have  the 
Prince  von  Hatzfeld  immediately  arrested,  and  the  court- 
martial  must  meet  within  twenty-four  hours  for  the  purpose 
of  trying  him  as  a  traitor  and  spy."  lie  stepped  to  his  desk, 
and  hastily  wrote  a  few  words  on  a  piece  of  paper.  He  him- 
self, having  folded,  sealed,  and  directed  it,  rang  the  bell. 
"Take  this,"  he  said  to  the  officer  who  had  entered  the  room. 
"Send  immediately  an  orderly  with  this  letter  to  Governor 
Clarke.  He  must  have  it  in  five  minutes." 

When  the  officer  had  withdrawn,  Napoleon  turned  once 
more  toward  Talleyrand.  "  Let  no  one  dare  talk  to  me  about 
mercy,"  he  said,  "for  I  shall  grant  it  to  no  one — neither  to 
you,  nor  to  the  prince's  wife,  of  whose  beauty  Duroc  once  in- 
formed me.  If  the  Germans  resemble  the  Italian  bulls,  I  will 
break  off  their  horns,  and  extract  their  teeth — then  they  will 
be  powerless.  Not  a  word,  therefore,  about  mercy,  either  for 
the  aristocracy,  or  for  the  journalists.  These  miserable  scrib- 
blers must  be  made  to  tremble,  and  lay  their  pens  aside. 
What  language  that  miserable  writer  has  dared  to  use  against 
me  in  this  paper — what  sarcasms  and  sneers  he  has  taken  the 
liberty  of  uttering  against  me!  And  the  King  of  Prussia  did 
not  have  him  arrested!  this  weak-headed  government  per- 
mitted the  libeller  quietly  to  pursue  his  infamous  course!" 

"Sire,  the  editor  of  this  paper,  called  T7ie  Telegraph,  I  am 
told  was  one  of  the  intimate  friends  and  followers  of  Prince 
Louis  Ferdinand." 

"And,  consequently,  also  one  of  the  friends  of  the  queen!" 
added  Napoleon,  quickly.  "That  woman  has  disdained  no 
expedient  to  wage  war  against  me ;  she  hates  me  intensely, 
and  with  more  energy  than  her  feeble  husband.  I  will  pay 
her  for  this  hatred,  and  she  shall  feel  what  it  is  to  provoko 
my  anger.  Yes,  I  will  humiliate  her.  She  may  now,  per- 
haps, repent  with  tears  what  she  has  done.  She  is  already  a 
fugitive.  I  will  drive  her  into  the  remotest  corner  of  her 
country,  and  compel  this  proud  queen  to  bow  before  me  in  the 
dust,  and  beg  me  on  her  knees  for  mercy!  But  I  will  not 
have  mercy  upon  her;  I  will  be  inexorable!  My  anger  shall 
crush  her  and  her  house,  as  it  has  crushed  whosoever  dared 


96  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

oppose  me.  Woe  unto  those  who  have  been  her  willing  tools; 
they  shall  atone  for  having  served  her  hatred  against  me ! — 
Is  any  thing  known  about  the  fellow  who  edited  this  paper, 
and  wrote  these  wretched  articles?" 

"  Sire,  the  editor  is  a  certain  Professor  Lange,  one  of  the 
most  zealous  royalists,  and  especially  an  ardent  admirer  of  the 
queen." 

"  Then  he  has  fled  with  her,  I  suppose,  and  she  will  in- 
stigate him  on  the  way  to  pen  new  slanders,  which,  by  virtue 
of  the  licentiousness  of  the  press,  he  will  utter  against  me?" 

"  No,  sire,  he  has  not  fled,  but  kept  himself  concealed  here ; 
our  police,  however,  ferreted  out  his  whereabouts  and  arrested 
him.  It  remains  for  your  majesty  to  decree  what  is  to  be 
done  with  him." 

"  He  shall  be  a  warning  example  to  the  German  scribblers, 
and  remind  them  of  the  penalty  incurred  by  those  who  stir  up 
resistance  against  me  by  their  insults  and  sneers.  I  will 
silence  these  libellers  once  for  all,  and  destroy  their  con- 
temptible free  press  by  the  executioner's  axe.  The  punish- 
ment inflicted  upon  Palm  seemed  not  sufficient — let  M.  Lange, 
then,  be  another  warning  to  them.  Let  him  die  as  Palm 
died!" 

"  Your  majesty,  then,  will  give  to  the  sentimental  Germans 
another  martyr,  to  whom  they  will  pray,  and  whose  death  will 
increase  their  enthusiasm?  Sire,  martyrs  are  like  fools. 
'One  fool  makes  many  others,'  and  thus  we  might  say  also, 
'  One  martyr  makes  many  others. '  Suppose  you  have  this  M. 
Lange  shot  to-day,  because  he  is  a  faithful  adherent  of  the 
queen,  and  has  written  in  accordance  with  her  views — to- 
morrow pamphleteers  will  spring  up  like  mushrooms — there 
will  be  more  libels  against  your  majesty,  written  by  those 
having  a  vain  desire  of  dying  for  their  beautiful  queen,  and 
in  the  hope  that  she  would  shed  tears  for  them,  as  she  did  for 
M.  Lange." 

"Ah."  exclaimed  Napoleon,  scornfully,  "you  are  strangely 
inclined  to  mercy  and  reconciliation  to-day.  It  seems  a  sickly 
fever  of  leniency  has  seized  you.  Then  you  think  I  ought  to 
pardon  this  miserable  pamphleteer  instead  of  punishing 
him?" 

"  Sire,  I  believe  this  fellow  will  be  much  more  severely  pun- 
ished if  we  do  not  make  him  a  martyr,  but  only  use  him  as  a 
tool  as  long  as  it  suits  us.  As  this  Professor  Lange  is  so  well 
versed  in  writing  pamphlets,  and  sending  libellous  articles 


NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND.         97 

into  the  world,  let  him  continue  his  trade;  only  let  him  be 
ordered  to  point  his  weapons  against  the  queen,  instead  of 
your  majesty,  and  to  revile  her  as  zealously  as  he  reviled  you." 

"  And  do  you  believe  he  will  stoop  so  low  as  to  eat  his  own 
words,  and  to  convict  himself  of  lying?  I  was  told  he  had 
hitherto  glorified  Louisa  of  Prussia,  and  abused  me,  with  an 
almost  frantic  enthusiasm." 

"Sire,  let  us  threaten  him  with  death — let  us  offer  him 
money.  He  will  succumb  to  fear  and  avarice.  I  know  these 
journalists.  They  are  cowardly,  and  always  in  pecuniary 
trouble.  Lange  will  turn  his  poisoned  arrows  against  the 
queen,  and  the  admirer  will  become  her  accuser." 

Napoleon,  frowning,  looked  musingly  at  the  floor.  "  What 
a  miserable  race  these  men  are!"  he  muttered.  "One  must 
devour  them  in  order  not  be  devoured  by  them.  Well,  then," 
he  added,  in  a  loud  voice,  "you  may  try  it.  Let  us  turn  the 
weapons  which  the  fanatical  queen  has  sharpened  against  us, 
against  herself.  But  the  accusations  must  be  grave  and  well- 
founded.  The  eyes  of  this  foolish  nation  must  be  opened. 
We  must  show  to  it  that  this  woman,  whom  it  worships  as  a 
chaste  Lucretia,  as  a  beautiful  saint,  is  nothing  but  a  very 
pretty  lady  with  a  well-developed  form,  endowed  with  little 
mind,  but  much  coquetry,  and  who,  so  far  from  being  a  saint, 
has  a  very  human  heart,  and  has  had  many  an  adventure.  If 
M.  Lauge  is  willing  to  write  in  this  strain,  I  will  pardon 
him.*  Tragedy  must  be  sometimes  transformed  into  a  farce, 
that  the  stupid  people  may  laugh  at  what  they  were  originally 
inclined  to  weep  for.  Ah,  that  Queen  of  Prussia  was  bent 
upon  waging  war  against  me!  She  shall  have  it.  We  will 
wage  war  against  each  other;  let  it  be  a  mortal  combat.  Did 
the  Prussian  ambassador  accept  our  terms?" 

"  Sire,  he  was  undecided  yesterday ;  but  he  will  not  be  to- 
day." 

"  Why  not?" 

"Sire,  a  courier  has  just  arrived,  and  I  came  to  commu- 
nicate to  your  majesty  the  news.  lie  is  from  Stettin,  and  in- 
formed me  that  that  fortress  has  capitulated.  Our  hussars 
took  possession  of  it." 

'Talleyrand's  prediction  was  fulfilled.  Threats  of  capital  punishment,  and 
promises  of  ample  rewards,  transformed  the  editor  of  the  Teli-yraph  into  as  enthusi- 
astic an  admirer  of  Napoleon  as  he  had  formerly  been  of  (^nern  Louisa  ;  and.  after 
having  hitherto  written  nothing  but  fulsome  eulogies,  he  now  did  not  shrink  from 
publishing-  the  most  shameless  libels  against  her.  The  immediate  consequence  was, 
that  the  Telegraph  lost  in  a  single  day  most  of  its  subscribers.  But  Lange  continued 
publishing  slanderous  articles  against  Louisa,  for  the  French  government  paid  him 
for  it. 


98  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA, 

The  emperor  smiled.  "Well,"  he  said,  "when  hnssars 
take  fortresses,  new  military  tactics  will  have  to  be  invented, 
and  the  walls  of  fortresses  might  just  as  well  be  razed.  But 
you  are  right.  The  fall  of  Stettin  is  a  most  important  event, 
and  the  government  will  have  to  make  up  its  mind  to  accept 
our  terms.  We  ought  not,  however,  to  accelerate  the  peace 
negotiations  too  much.  The  terms  which  we  have  offered  to 
Prussia  are  tolerably  favorable ;  if  more  couriers  of  this  de- 
scription should  arrive,  we  ought  to  render  the  terms  more 
onerous,  and  the  peace  more  humiliating.  Try  to  delay  the 
definite  settlement  with  the  Prussian  ambassador;  it  is  not 
necessary  for  us  to  sign  the  treaty  so  soon.  Let  us  await 
further  news." 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  the  valet  de  chambre  ap- 
peared, announcing  a  courier  just  arrived,  who  desired  to 
deliver  to  his  majesty  dispatches  from  the  Grand-duke  of 
Berg.  Napoleon  made  a  sign  to  him.  The  door  opened,  and 
the  courier,  in  his  dusty  and  bespattered  travelling-costume, 
entered  the  room. 

"Where  is  the  grand-duke?"  asked  the  emperor,  quickly. 

"Sire,  in  Prenzlau." 

"  Ah,  in  Prenzlau !"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "  The  gates  have 
opened  to  him,  then !  Give  me  your  dispatches,  and  then  go 
and  take  rest.  I  see  you  stand  in  need  of  it!" 

"  Sire,  I  have  been  ten  hours  on  horseback,  and  have  just 
dismounted. " 

"  Breakfast  shall  be  served  you.  Apply  for  it  to  the  valet 
de  chambre  in  the  anteroom.  Go!" 

The  courier  had  not  yet  closed  the  door  of  the  cabinet  after 
him,  when  Napoleon  opened  the  dispatches,  and  rapidly 
glanced  over  their  contents.  With  a  proud,  triumphant 
smile  he  turned  toward  Talleyrand.  "  I  was  right  in  saying 
that  we  ought  to  delay  the  definite  conclusion  of  peace,"  ht 
said;  "we  shall  now  be  able  to  impose  more  onerous  con- 
ditions on  Prussia,  and  she  will  have  to  submit  to  them. 
The  Grand-duke  of  Berg  has  sent  me  excellent  news.  The 
corps  of  the  Prince  von  Hohenlohe  has  capitulated  near 
Prenzlau.  The  Prussian  army  exists  no  more.  Ten  thou- 
sand men,  with  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  officers,  about 
two  thousand  horses,  and  fifty-four  field-pieces,  have  been 
captured  by  our  forces.  Ten  thousand  men !  Now,  if  ever  I 
should  live  to  see  the  disgrace  of  such  a  surrender  of  any  of 
my  own  corps,  I  would  make  peace  with  the  enemy  for  the 


NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND.          99 

sole  purpose  of  recovering  my  captured  troops,  and  of  having 
the  miserable  officers  shot  who  entered  into  such  a  capitula- 
tion. Ten  thousand  men,  and  three  hundred  officers! 
Truly,  my  brother  the  King  of  Prussia  is  unlucky,  and  I  am 
sure  the  beautiful  queen  will  bitterly  repent  of  her  hatred 
against  me." 

"  Sire,"  said  Talleyrand,  with  a  malicious  smile,  "  it  is  said 
there  is  but  one  step  from  hatred  to  love.  Who  knows 
whether  the  gods,  in  order  to  punish  the  queen  for  her  au- 
dacity, will  not  cause  her  to  take  this  step?  Who  knows 
whether  her  intense  hatred  is  not  even  now  but  the  mask 
which  conceals  her  love  and  admiration  for  your  majesty? 
Beware  of  approaching  this  beautiful  Helen,  lest  your  own 
hatred  should  run  the  risk  of  being  transformed  into  love." 

"Ah,"  said  Napoleon,  angrily,  "were  my  heart  capable  of 
such  a  change,  I  should  tear  it  with  my  own  hands  from  my 
breast  in  order  to  smother  its  desires.  Though  she  were  the 
most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world,  and  offered  her  love  to 
me,  I  should  turn  away  from  her,  and  hurl  my  contempt  and 
hatred  into  her  face.  She  has  offended  me  too  grievously,  for 
it  is  she  who  has  destroyed  all  my  plans,  and  instigated  her 
husband  to  assume  a  hostile  attitude.  France  and  Prussia 
are  destined  to  be  friends,  and  a  war  against  Prussia  is  for 
France  equivalent  to  chaining  her  right  hand.  If  Prussia 
had  remained  my  faithful  ally  last  year,  if  she  had  not  joined 
the  third  coalition,  our  united  armies  at  that  time  would  have 
seen  not  only  Germany  at  our  feet,  but  all  Europe.  Yet  the 
queen  would  not  have  it  thus;  childish  and  passionate,  like 
all  women,  she  did  not  consult  her  reason,  but  only  her  feel- 
ings; and,  as  her  haughty  heart  could  not  bear  the  idea  of 
accepting  the  friendship  and  alliance  of  an  emperor  who  had 
not  been  born  under  a  royal  canopy,  she  preferred  exasperat- 
ing her  husband  against  me,  and  plunging  Prussia  into  mis- 
ery, distress,  and  disgrace.  For  this  capitulation  of  Prenzlau 
is  a  disgrace,  and  if  I  am  glad  of  it  as  an  enemy,  because  it  is 
advantageous  to  me,  it  causes  me  to  blush  as  a  soldier,  because 
it  disgraces  the  whole  military  profession.  Ah,  there  is  jus- 
tice in  Heaven,  and  a  Providence  is  directing  our  affairs  on 
earth." 

"Ah,  your  majesty  believes  in  such  things?"  asked  Talley- 
rand, with  a  sneer.  "  You  believe,  there  is  a  God  who  makes 
it  His  business  to  direct  the  world  and  mankind,  and  to  dab- 
ble in  the  trade  of  princes  and  diplomatists?" 


100  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  As  I  have  not  been  ordained  a  priest  like  you,  and  never 
have  served  the  Church,  I  may  be  allowed  to  believe  in  God," 
said  Napoleon,  smiling.  "  Yes,  I  believe  in  Providence,  and 
I  believe  it  was  a  dispensation  of  Providence  that  those 
arrogant  officers  of  the  guard,  who  thought  it  was  only  nec- 
essary to  show  themselves  in  order  to  drive  away  the  French, 
and  who  went  so  far  in  their  madness  as  to  whet  their 
swords  on  the  doorsteps  of  the  house  of  our  ambassadors, 
should  now  be  duly  humiliated  and  chastised.  For  the  guards 
of  Potsdam  and  Berlin  are  among  the  captured  of  the  corps 
of  the  Prince  von  Hohenlohe,  and  they  will  soon  arrive  in 
Berlin.  A  royal  prince  also,  the  brother  of  Prince  Louis 
Ferdinand,  is  among  the  prisoners." 

"  Your  majesty  is  right,"  said  Talleyrand,  "  we  are  able  now 
to  impose  more  rigorous  terms  on  Prussia.  If  your  majesty 
permit,  I  will  immediately  enter  into  negotiations  concerning 
this  point  with  M.  de  Lucchesini.  He  is  at  present  awaiting 
me." 

"  Inform  him  of  the  latest  news;  that  will  render  him  sub- 
missive. You  know  my  intentions,  and  know,  too,  what  I 
expect  Eussia  to  do.  The  king  offered  Baireuth  to  me  in- 
stead of  the  contribution  of  one  hundred  million  francs  which 
I  had  asked  for.  Such  a  substitution  is  out  of  the  question 
now.  Besides,  we  shall  add  the  following  conditions:  Prus- 
sia, in  case  Eussia  declares  war  against  Turkey,  will  ally  her- 
self with  France,  and  march  her  whole  army  against  the 
emperor  of  Eussia." 

"  Ah,  sire,  you  are  bent,  then,  on  breaking  the  heart  of  the 
beautiful  Louisa?"  asked  Talleyrand,  laughing  cynically. 

"  It  is  my  reply  to  the  oath  she  and  her  husband  took  with 
Alexander  at  the  grave  of  Frederick  II.  Go,  and  inform 
Lucchesini  of  the  latest  news  and  of  my  conditions." 

"  Your  majesty  promised  to  be  so  gracious  as  to  receive  this 
forenoon  the  ambassadors  of  the  petty  German  princes,  who 
have  been  begging  for  an  audience  since  yesterday  morn- 
ing." 

"  It  will  not  by  any  means  hurt  these  petty  dignitaries  to 
practise  a  little  the  virtue  of  patience,"  said  Napoleon, 
harshly.  "  I  shall  admit  them  to-morrow,  in  order  to  get  rid 
at  length  of  their  complaints.  Do  you  still  remember  that 
I  instructed  you  several  months  since  to  draw  up  the  necessary 
reports  for  the  formation  of  a  new  state  in  Northern  Ger- 
many, between  the  Ehine  and  the  Elbe?" 


NAPOLEON  AND  TALLEYRAND.         101 

"  Sire,  I  carried  out  your  order  at  that  time,  and  delivered 
to  you  the  report  concerning  this  state." 

"  Yes,  it  is  in  my  hands,  and  it  is  time  for  us  to  carry  out 
my  views  in  regard  to  it.  You  drew  it  up  with  the  pen,  and 
I  executed  and  illustrated  it  with  the  sword.  Both  of  us, 
therefore,  have  done  our  duty.  To-morrow  I  will  inform  the 
ambassadors  of  these  petty  princes  of  our  views  as  to  this  new 
state,  in  order  that  they  may  evacuate  their  own.  Go  to  Luc- 
chesini.  I  will  take  a  ride,  and  pay  a  visit  to  my  gardens  in 
Charlottenburg. " 

Talleyrand  bowed,  and  left  the  cabinet.  In  the  large  hall 
contiguous  to  it,  he  saw  Grand-marshal  Duroc,  who  was  stand- 
ing at  the  farthest  window.  Talleyrand  hastened  to  him  as 
fast  as  his  limping  leg  would  permit,  and  drew  the  grand 
marshal,  who  had  come  to  meet  him,  back  into  the  window. 
"M.  Grand  marshal,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  am  about  to 
turn  traitor  and  to  disclose  to  you  a  secret  of  the  emperor. 
My  life  is  in  your  hands;  if  you  should  inform  his  majesty 
of  what  I  am  about  to  do,  I  must  perish.  Will  you  do  so?" 

Duroc  smiled.  "Your  excellency,"  he  said,  "I  am  a  good 
patriot,  and  as  I  know  how  indispensable  your  life  is  to  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  France,  I  shall  take  care  not  to 
undertake  any  thing  against  you ;  I  should,  on  the  contrary, 
always  deem  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  protect  the  life  of  your 
excellency,  and  to  attend  to  your  welfare  whenever  an  occasion 
offered.  You  may,  therefore,  safely  communicate  your  secret 
to  me.  I  would  die  sooner  than  betray  you." 

"I  thank  you,"  said  Talleyrand,  bowing.  "Listen,  then; 
the  emperor  has  issued  orders  to  arrest  the  Prince  von  llatz- 
feld,  and  to  have  him  tried  by  a  court-martial."  * 

"Impossible!"  ejaculated  Duroc,  turning  pale.  "The 
Prince  von  Uatzfeld  has  always  been  a  zealous  and  warm  ad- 
herent of  France,  and  it  was  precisely  on  account  of  this  that 
he  was  in  high  disfavor  with  the  court  party.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Berlin  also  reproach  him  with  having  prevented 
them  from  defending  themselves,  and  with  having  intention- 
ally failed  to  remove  the  arms  from  the  arsenal.  What,  then, 
may  he  have  done  that  he  should  be  tried  by  a  French  court- 
martial?" 

An  imperceptible  smile  passed  over  Talleyrand's  astute  fea- 
tures. "  He  has  written  a  letter  to  the  king,"  he  said, 
"  which,  if  need  be,  may  be  construed  as  the  letter  of  a  traitor 
and  spy,  especially  since  an  opportunity  is  desired  to  set  an 


102  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

example,  and  to  intimidate  the  haughty  aristocracy,  because 
they  avoid  coming  hither  and  doing  homage  to  the  conqueror. " 

"  If  that  be  the  intention,"  sighed  Duroc,  "  the  Prince  von 
Hatzfeld  is  lost.  The  emperor  will  be  inexorable." 

"  Is  it  necessary,  then,  to  have  some  one  put  to  death  in 
order  to  frighten  the  others?"  asked  Talleyrand.  "  But  you 
are  right.  The  emperor  will  have  no  mercy.  The  court- 
martial  will  assemble  to-morrow." 

"  To-morrow!"  said  Duroc,  sadly.  "  Oh,  into  what  distress 
it  will  plunge  the  family !  The  young  princess  loves  her  hus- 
band passionately ;  she  expects  to  become  a  mother  in  a  few 
months,  and  is  to  lose  the  father  of  her  child  before  it  sees 
the  light!" 

Again  a  smile  overspread  Talleyrand's  face.  He  inclined 
closer  to  the  grand  marshal  and  placed  his  small,  emaciated 
hand  on  Duroc 's  vigorous  arm.  "My  friend,"  he  said,  in  a 
low  voice,  "  you  must  try  to  save  the  prince !" 

"I?"  asked  Duroc,  wonderingly. 

Talleyrand  nodded.  "  Yes,  you !  You  have  long  known 
the  family;  you  have,  on  your  various  missions  to  Berlin, 
been  repeatedly  at  Hatzf  eld's  house,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
the  young  princess  in  her  distress  and  despair  will  apply  to 
you  for  advice  and  assistance.  You  must  procure  her  an  in- 
terview with  the  emperor,  and  she  will  thus  obtain  an  oppor- 
tunity to  implore  his  majesty  on  her  knees  to  have  mercy  on 
her  husband.  The  whole  aristocracy,  then,  in  her  person 
will  humbly  kneel  before  the  emperor,  and  they  will  all  be 
pardoned  in  the  person  of  the  prince.  My  dear  sir,  you  must 
at  all  events  procure  the  princess  an  interview  with  Napoleon." 

"  But  did*  you  not  tell  me  that  the  emperor  was  determined 
not  to  pardon  the  prince,  and  that  the  court- marital  will  as- 
semble to-morrow?" 

"  I  did.  I  might  have  added  that  the  emperor,  when  I 
begged  him  to  have  mercy  on  Hatzfeld,  angrily  rejected  my 
application,  and  told  me  he  would  not  permit  any  one  to 
renew  it.  He  was  very  emphatic  about  it.  Even  Duroc,  he 
said,  should  not  dare  to  conduct  the  princess  to  him,  and 
thus  enable  her  to  implore  his  mercy." 

"Well?"  exclaimed  Duroc. 

"  Well,"  said  Talleyrand,  composedly.  "  I  believed  I  might 
conclude  precisely  from  this  peremptory  order,  that  he  wished 
to  indicate  to  me  that  he  was  inclined  to  pardon  the  offender 
in  this  manner." 


THE   PRINCESS  VON  HATZFELD.  103 

"  What!"  said  Duroc,  smiling,  "the  emperor  orders  us  not 
to  admit  the  Princess  von  Hatzfeld ;  he  says  he  will  not  par- 
don the  prince,  and  you  conclude  from  all  this  that  he  will 
grant  her  an  audience  and  the  pardon  of  her  husband?" 

"Certainly,"  said  Talleyrand.  "What  is  language  given 
us  for,  unless  to  veil  our  thoughts?  Whenever  I  havo  to  deal 
with  sagacious  and  prominent  men,  I  presume  that  their 
thoughts  are  just  the  reverse  of  what  their  words  express. 
Only  simpletons,  and  men  of  no  position,  say  what  they  mean. 
Try  it,  by  all  means.  Procure  the  princess  an  interview  with 
the  emperor,  and  leave  the  rest  to  her  eloquence  and  beauty." 

"  But  I  cannot  go  to  her  and  offer  her  my  intercession.  It 
would  look  as  though  the  emperor  had  sent  me;  and  if  he 
then  should  pardon  the  prince,  it  would  be  generally  believed 
to  be  a  mere  coup  de  theatre." 

"  You  are  right.  Wre  must  avoid  by  all  means  letting  the 
affair  assume  such  a  character,"  said  Talleyrand,  smiling. 
"  If  the  princess  really  loves  her  husband,  and  if  she  really  in- 
tends to  save  him,  she  will  naturally  first  think  of  you;  for 
you  are  acquainted  with  her  and  her  family,  and  are  known 
to  be  the  emperor's  intimate  and  influential  friend.  It  will 
be  but  natural  for  her  to  invoke  your  intercession." 

"  If  she  does  so,  I  will  try,  to  the  best  of  my  power,  to  be 
useful  to  her,  for  I  have  spent  many  pleasant  hours  at  the 
prince's  house,  and  it  would  be  agreeable  to  me  to  do  her  a 
favor.  But  I  am  afraid  you  are  mistaken.  The  emperor 
never  takes  back  his  word,  and  if  he  has  said  that  he  will  have 
no  mercy,  and  not  admit  the  princess,  that  will  be  the  end 
of  it,  and  all  endeavors  of  mine  will  be  in  vain." 

"Try  it  at  least,"  said  Talleyrand.  "Perhaps  you  may  ac- 
complish your  purpose.  But  you  have  no  time  to  lose,  for, 
as  I  have  told  you  already,  the  court-martial  is  to  assemble  to- 
morrow. What  is  to  be  done,  must  be  done,  therefore,  in  the 
course  of  to-day." 


CHAPTER     XII. 

THE   PRINCESS   VON    HATZFELD. 

GRAND-MARSHAL  DUROC  was  pacing  his  room  in  great 
agitation.  Evening  was  drawing  nigh,  and  still  he  had  not 
received  any  intelligence  from  the  Princess  von  Hatzfeld. 


104  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Yet  her  husband  had  been  arrested  in  the  course  of  the  fore- 
noon and  taken  to  the  palace,  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  which 
he  was  locked  up  and  kept  under  strict  surveillance.  The 
news  of  his  arrest  had  spread  rapidly  through  Berlin,  and 
cast  a  gloom  over  the  whole  city.  Everywhere  in  the  streets 
groups  of  pale  and  grave  men  were  to  be  seen,  who  whispered 
to  each  other  this  latest  dreadful  event,  and  vented  their 
anger  in  secret  imprecations. 

All  were  convinced  that  the  Prince  von  Hatzfeld  must  die ; 
every  one  felt  it  to  be  a  new  humiliation  inflicted  upon  him- 
self personally,  that  one  of  the  most  respected  and  distin- 
guished men  in  Prussia  was  to  be  charged  with  felony,  and 
tried  as  a  common  spy.  No  one  doubted  that  the  court- 
martial  would  pass  sentence  of  death  upon  him;  and  that 
Napoleon  would  show  no  mercy,  nor  feel  any  compassion, 
could  be  read  in  his  stern  and  melancholy  air  when,  followed 
by  his  suite,  he  rode  through  the  streets  to  Charlottenburg. 

All  the  reproaches  heretofore  uttered  against  the  Prince 
von  Hatzfeld  were  forgotten;  the  people  forgave  his  weak- 
ness, his  cowardice,  his  predilection  for  France.  At  this 
hour,  when  he  was  menaced  by  the  universal  enemy  and  op- 
pressor they  only  remembered  that  he  was  a  German,  and  that 
the  anger  of  the  conqueror  ought  to  make  him  a  martyr  of 
the  German  cause.  They  whispered  to  each  other  that  Na- 
poleon had  selected  the  prince  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
intimidating  the  opposition  by  an  example  of  severity,  and  of 
frightening  the  royalists.  "He  is  lost!"  they  said,  mourn- 
fully. "  The  emperor  will  not  pardon  him,  for  he  intends  to 
punish  in  the  prince's  person  ourselves,  who  love  the  king 
and  would  like  to  send  him  information  concerning  the  enemy 
and  his  armies." 

"The  Prince  von  Hatzfeld  is  lost!"  said  Duroc,  also,  as  he 
was  uneasily  and  sadly  pacing  his  room.  "Yes!  This  time 
Talleyrand,  in  spite  of  all  his  sagacity,  has  been  mistaken. 
The  emperor  does  not  intend  to  pardon  the  prince,  for  he 
has  selected  Davoust,  Eapp,  and  Clarke  as  members  of  the 
court-martial,  and  they  have  no  mercy  on  those  whom  their 
master  has  accused.  The  princess  does  not  think  of  coming 
to  me  and  of  invoking  my  intercession.  And  even  if  she  did, 
I  should  not  be  able  to  assist  her.  All  my  supplications 
would  be  in  vain.  The  emperor  has  resolved  on  the  prince's 
death  from  policy,  not  in  anger;  hence  nothing  can  save 
him." 


THE  PRINCESS  VON   HATZFELD.  105 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  the  footman  hastily 
entered.  "Grand  marshal,"  he  said,  "  there  is  a  veiled  lady 
outside,  who  insists  on  seeing  you.  I  have  vainly  requested 
her  to  give  me  her  name  ;*she  will  only  mention  it  to  your  ex- 
cellency, and — " 

Duroc  did  not  longer  listen  to  him.  He  himself  hastened 
into  the  anteroom,  and,  offering  his  arm  to  the  lady,  con- 
ducted her  into  his  cabinet. 

"Go  down-stairs,  Jean,"  he  hurriedly  said  to  his  footman — 
"go  down-stairs,  hasten  into  the  Palace  Place,  and  when  you 
see  the  emperor  approaching  in  the  distance,  return  and  in- 
form me  of  it." 

Jean  slipped  out  of  the  door,  and  Duroc  locked  it  after 
him.  "Well,  madame,"  he  then  said,  "speak!  We  are 
alone." 

The  lady  hastily  removed  the  veil  from  her  face,  and 
showed  her  beautiful,  pale  features  bathed  in  tears. 

"The  Princess  von  Hatzfeld!"  exclaimed  Duroc,  success- 
fully feigning  an  air  of  great  surprise. 

"Yes,  it  is  I,"  she  said,  breathlessly  and  with  quivering 
lips.  "  I  come  to  beseech  you  to  assist  me !  You  must  do  so — 
you  must  not  desert  me !  My  husband  has  been  arrested !  lie 
is  charged  with  having  secretly  informed  the  king  of  the 
operations  of  the  French  army.  He  is  accused  of  being  a  spy. 
Oh,  merciful  Heaven !  he  will  die,  for  the  emperor  is  boit  on 
having  him  executed;,  he  desires  to  crush  and  ruin  us  all! 
Do  you  understand  it  is  my  husband? — he  whom  others 
charged  with  being  a  traitor  to  his  country,  because,  in  his 
generous  exertions  to  avoid  bloodshed,  he  always  admonished 
the  inhabitants  to  be  patient  and  submissive — he  is  charged 
now  with  having  betrayed  the  emperor,  and  is  to  be  executed 
as  a  spy!  They  have  dragged  him  from  my  side  and  taken 
him  away.  I  fainted  with  grief  and  despair.  Oh,  I  hoped — 
I  wished  it  were  death  that  prostrated  me!  But  God  would 
not  let  me  die;  He  preserved  my  life,  that  I  night  try  to  save 
my  husband.  The  physician  advised  me  to  remain,  and  en- 
deavor to  take  rest.  Duroc,  how  can  I  take  rest  while  the 
life  of  my  beloved  husband  is  in  danger?  I  rose  from  my 
couch,  for  the  thought  flashed  through  my  mind,  'Duroc  will 
assist  me  in  saving  him!'  And  now  I  am  here,  and  beseech 
you, (have  mercy  on  a  wife's  despair!  Duroc,  help  me,  so 
that  I  may  save  the  prince!  You  have  a  kind  and  generous 
heart,  and  the  emperor  loves  you!  Implore  him  to  have 


106  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

mercy  on  my  husband !  By  all  that  is  dear  to  you,  I  beseech 
you,  beg  for  him!"  And  quite  beside  herself,  pale  and  in 
tears,  the  young  princess  was  about  to  kneel  down  before 
Duroc,  but  he  quickly  raised  her  up,  and,  bowing  deeply, 
kissed  her  cold,  trembling  hands. 

"  I  thank  you,  princess,  for  having  thought  of  and  believed 
in  me,"  he  said.  "But  I  am  afraid  that  your  faith  will  be 
in  vain." 

"Pray  for  my  husband,"  she  said,  sobbing.  "You  see,  I 
shall  die  if  I  lose  him.  Have  pity  on  my  youth,  and  on  my 
unborn  child !  Implore  the  emperor  to  have  mercy  on  the 
prince!" 

"You  believe  the  emperor  would  listen  to  me?"  asked 
Duroc,  sadly.  "Then  you  do  not  know  him;  you  do  not 
know  what  he  is  when  he  is  angry.  I  have  been  in  more  than 
twenty  battles ;  bullets  have  hissed  all  around  me ;  death  was 
at  my  side,  and  I  did  not  tremble,  but  I  tremble  when  the 
emperor  is  angry.  When  I  behold  his  marble  face — his  flash- 
ing eyes — when  his  voice  resounds  like  the  roll  of  thunder,  I 
comprehend  how  women  faint  and  flee.  I  myself  feel  then 
what  I  never  felt  in  the  battle-field — I  feel  fear!" 

"Then  you  will  not  assist  me!"  exclaimed  the  princess, 
wringing  her  hands.  "You  will  not  do  any  thing  for  him? 
And  yet  he  is  innocent.  My  noble  husband  never  committed 
the  crime  with  which  he  is  charged.  He  is  no  spy — 110 
traitor — and  yet  he  is  to  die !  I  have  no  friend,  and  the  only 
man  who  I  had  hoped  would  aid  me  deserts  me,  because  he  is 
afraid  of  his  master's  frown!" 

"No,"  said  Duroc,  "I  do  not  desert  you,  I  only  tell  you 
what  the  emperor  is  in  his  wrath;  I  only  tell  you  that  the 
tempestuous  ocean  is  pleasant,  and  the  thunder  mild,  com- 
pared with  him  in  such  a  mood.  However,  I  would  gladly 
expose  myself  to  it  if  I  could  be  useful  to  you  and  to  your 
husband.  But  it  is  a  vain  hope.  The  emperor  would  not 
listen  to  me ;  he  would  interrupt  me,  and  order  me  to  be 
silent.  My  intercession  would  irritate  him  even  more,  and, 
instead  of  delaying  the  terrible  catastrophe,  I  should  be  likely 
to  accelerate  it." 

"Well,"  exclaimed  the  princess,  wringing  her  hands,  "if 
you  yourself  dare  not  speak  and  beg  for  him,  let  me.  I  am 
not  afraid  of  the  emperor's  anger,  and  when  a  woman  'clasps 
his  knees  and  implores  his  mercy,  he  will  at  least  Listen,  and 
his  heart  may  be  softened.  I  beseech  you  to  grant  me  this 


THE  PRINCESS  VON  HATZFELD.  107 

favor — conduct  me  to  the  emperor!  Let  me  implore  him  to 
pardon  my  husband!" 

"  You  are  right,  it  is  perhaps  the  only  way  to  save  his  life. 
Napoleon  has  a  generous  heart;  your  tears,  perhaps,  will 
touch  him,  for  he  cannot  bear  the  sight  of  a  weeping  woman, 
and  genuine  grief  always  moves  his  heart.  But  just  because 
he  is  conscious  of  his  weakness,  he  will  avoid  seeing  you,  and 
give  stringent  orders  not  to  admit  any  one.  You  must,  at 
present  forget  your  rank.  You  must  not  insist  that  the  foot- 
men announce  you,  and  open  the  folding-doors,  but  you  must 
make  up  your  mind  to  appear,  without  any  regard  to  eti- 
quette, before  the  emperor,  and  oblige  him  to  grant  you  an 
audience." 

"  Do  you  not  see  that  I  am  nothing  but  a  poor,  unhappy 
woman,  begging  for  mercy?"  said  the  princess,  with  a  melan- 
choly smile.  "  Would  I  have  come  to  you  if  I  thought  still 
of  the  rules  of  etiquette?  Give  me  an  opportunity  to  see  the 
emperor,  and,  though  it  were  in  the  open  street,  and  thou- 
sands standing  by,  I  should  kneel  down  before  him,  and,  like 
a  beggar-woman,  ask  for  the  alms  of  his  mercy — for  my  hus- 
band's life  is  in  his  hands!" 

"  Well,  if  such  be  your  feelings,  princess,  I  hope  to  be  able 
to  procure  you  access  to  him.  We  must  act  as  generals  do  in 
the  field,  and  try  to  outwit  the  enemy — we  must  deprive  the 
emperor  of  the  possibility  of  avoiding  an  audience.  After 
his  return  from  Charlottenburg  and  when  once  in  his  rooms, 
all  will  be  in  vain;  he  will  admit  no  one,  and  close  his  ears 
against  all  supplications  of  mine.  Hence  you  must  meet  him 
at  the  moment  when  he  enters  the  palace.  You  must — 

A  rapid  knock"  at  the  door  interrupted  him,  and  Duroc 
hastened  to  open  it.  "  Is  it  you,  Jean?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  M.  Grand  marshal,  it  is  I,"  said  the  footman,  "I 
come  to  inform  your  excellency  that  the  emperor  is  just  rid- 
ing up  the  Linden  with  his  suite.  He  will  oe  here  in  a  few 
minutes." 

"All  right.     Go  now,  Jean." 

"Let  us  go,  too,"  said  the  princess,  quickly  approaching 
the  door.  "Give  me  your  arm,  M.  Grand  marshal;  I  am 
trembling  so,  I  might  sink  down  before  appearing  in  the 
presence  of  the  emperor!" 

"Come,  princess,"  said  Duroc,  compassionately,  "lean 
firmly  on  me.  Heaven  will  give  you  strength,  for  you  have  a 
noble  and  fearless  heart.  Come !  I  will  conduct  you  to  the 


108  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

foot  of  the  staircase,  which  the  emperor  will  have  to  ascend 
in  order  to  reach  his  rooms.  You  may  accost  him  there. 
God  and  love  will  impart  strength  to  your  words!" 

AVith  rapid  steps  they  crossed  the  suite  of  rooms  and  stepped 
into  the  so-called  Swiss  hall,  where  the  orderlies  and  soldiers 
of  the  guard  on  duty  that  day  were  assembled.  The  bearded 
warriors  looked  surprised  at  the  grand  marshal — whose  face 
was  graver  than  they  had  ever  seen  it  in  battle — and  at  this 
lady,  hanging  on  his  arm,  as  beautiful  and  pale  as  a  lily. 
Duroc,  who  generally  had  a  smile  and  a  pleasant  word  for  the 
soldiers  of  the  guard,  the  faithful  companions  of  so  many 
battles,  took  no  notice  of  them.  He  hastened  with  the  prin- 
cess through  the  hall  into  the  corridor,  and  down  the  broad 
winding  stairs  opening  immediately  into  the  second  court- 
yard of  the  palace.  He  then  conducted  her  across  through 
the  inside  portal  to  the  splendidly-carpeted  principal  staircase 
in  the  rear  of  the  vestibule. 

"Await  the  emperor  here,"  said  Duroc,  drawing  a  deep 
breath.  "  He  will  go  up  this  staircase,  and  he  cannot,  there- 
fore, avoid  meeting  you.  But  he  has  a  sharp  eye,  and  if  he 
should  see  you  from  afar,  he  might,  divining  your  intention, 
turn  around  and  go  the  other  way.  Ascend  as  far  as  the  first 
landing.  The  emperor  cannot  see  you  there  before  he  mounts 
the  first  steps,  and  then  he  will  not  turn  back." 

The  princess  hastily  ascended  the  steps,  which  she  had  so 
often  done  with  a  joyous  heart,  and  in  a  brilliant  toilet,  when 
repairing  to  the  festivals  of  the  royal  court.  Duroc  followed 
her,  and  told  the  sentinel  posted  at  the  staircase  and  present- 
ing arms  to  the  grand  marshal,  that  the  lady  had.  received 
orders  to  wait  there  for  the  emperor,  who^- 

Just  then  the  drums  rolled,  and  the  guard  in  the  court- 
yard was  called  out. 

"The  emperorl"  whispered  the  princess,  sinking  down  on 
her  knees,  clasping  her  hands  and  praying  silently. 

"The emperor!"  said  Duroc,  hastening  down-stairs  into  the 
second  court-yard. 

Napoleon  rode  in  at  that  moment,  and  Duroc,  glancing  un- 
easily at  him,  saw  that  his  mien  was  even  gloomier  than  pre- 
vious to  his  ride ;  he  saw  that  flashes  of  anger  darted  from  his 
eyes,  ready  to  wither  the  first  being  that  should  come  near 
them.  On  riding  up  the  Linden  to-day,  he  had  again  missed 
the  wonted  music  of  "  Vive  VEmpereur!  "  and  noticed  that 
the  people,  standing  here  and  there  in  groups  in  the  street, 


THE  PRINCESS  VON   HATZFELD.  109 

when  he  passed  them,  had  frowned  instead  of  greeting  him 
with  the  usual  cheers.  This  want  of  respect,  this  visible  de- 
fiance had  darkened  his  countenance  and  embittered  his  soul. 
Just  as  he  alighted  from  his  horse,  and  threw  the  bridle  to 
Koustan,  the  Mameluke,  the  grand  marshal,  pale,  punting, 
and  in  visible  emotion,  stepped  up  to  him.  Napoleon  noticed 
it,  and  his  angry  glance  intimidated  Duroc. 

"  You  want  to  inform  me  that  Berlin  is  seditious?"  he 
asked,  in  a  stern,  hard  voice.  "  I  am  not  astonished  at  it. 
This  city  seems  to  be  inclined  to  such  movements.  But  I  am 
about  to  set  it  a  terrible  example ;  I  will  show  Berlin  in  what 
manner  I  punish  rebels,  and  will  cure  its  seditious  tendency." 
Striking  his  boots  with  his  riding-whip,  as  was  his  habit 
when  out  of  humor,  he  crossed  the  court-yard  in  the  direction 
of  the  staircase. 

"No,  sire,"  said  Duroc.  "Berlin  is  not  seditious.  I  only 
intended  to  implore  your  majesty's  noble  and  generous  heart 
to  grant  me  a  favor." 

The  emperor  looked  at  him  with  some  surprise,  and,  ad- 
vancing rapidly,  he  set  foot  on  the  first  step  of  the  staircase, 
his  eyes  directed  to  the  grand  marshal.  "  Well,  what  is  it?" 
he  asked,  ascending  the  second  step,  and  turning  to  Duroc, 
who  was  walking  behind  him. 

"Sire,  have  mercy  on  the  unhappy  Princess  von  Hatzfeld! 
I  beseech  your  majesty  to  grant  her  an  audience." 

"No,  no,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  "do  not  say  a  word 
about  that!  I  do  not  wish  to  see  her,  I —  But  what  is  this?" 
he  interrupted  himself,  for  he  had  now  reached  the  first  laud- 
ing, and  beheld  the  princess.  She  had  knelt  down,  and, 
stretching  out  her  clasped  hands,  fixed  her  large  azure  eyes 
on  him  with  a  most  heart-rending,  suppliant  air. 

Napoleon's  brow  grew  darker  than  before,  and  with  an 
angry  air  he  asked,  "  What  does  this  mean,  M.  Grand  mar- 
shal? Who  is  this  lady?" 

"Sire,  it  is  the  Princess  von  Hatzfeld,"  replied  Duroc,  in 
a  low  voice.  "  She  implored  me  to  procure  her  an  interview 
with  your  majesty.  Sire,  pardon  me  for  having  conducted 
her  hither,  that  she  herself  might  beg  your  majesty  for  this 
audience.  I  counted  on  your  generous  heart,  which  will  for- 
give the  wife  who  comes  to  implore  your  mercy  for  her  hus- 
band." 

"  Have  you  not  been  told  that  I  have  expressly  forbidden 
this  affair  to  be  mentioned  to  me?"  exclaimed  the  emperor, 


110  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA, 

in  a  threatening  voice.  "  The  court-martial  alone  has  to  judge 
the  prince  and  I  will  and  must  not  influence  its  verdict." 

"Oh,  sire,"  exclaimed  the  princess  who  was  still  on  her 
knees,  "  have  mercy  on  me ! — have  mercy  on  my  unhappy 
husband!"  Tears  choked  her  voice,  and  ran  in  torrents  over 
her  pale  face. 

Napoleon  seemed  to  be  moved  by  this  piteous  spectacle; 
his  eye  became  milder,  and  his  frown  disappeared.  "  Ma- 
dame," he  said,  bending  over  her,  "rise.  A  lady  in  your  cir- 
cumstances ought  to  kneel  before  God  only.  In  consideration 
of  your  condition,  I  grant  you  an  interview.  Grand  marshal, 
follow  me,  with  the  princess."  He  quickly  ascended  the  stair- 
case, and,  without  looking  round,  walked  across  the  halls  and 
rooms  to  his  cabinet.  Breathless,  scarcely  touching  the  floor 
with  her  feet,  and  strengthened  by  her  profound  emotion,  the 
princess  walked  behind  him  by  the  side  of  Duroc. 

"The  emperor  now  enters  his  cabinet,"  whispered  Duroc. 
"You  have  reached  your  destination." 

"My  God,  have  mercy  on  me!"  sighed  the  princess,  and 
raised  her  eyes  imploringly  to  heaven.  She  was  now  in  the 
cabinet,  and  Duroc  withdrew  to  the  door.  Napoleon  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  room;  the  brightly-burning  fire  shed  a 
light  over  his  whole  figure,  and  rendered  prominent  his  stern 
features. 

"  Sire,"  exclaimed  the  princess,  falling  on  her  knees,  "I 
beseech  you  have  mercy  on  my  husband!  Mercy,  sire, 
mercy!" 

"Mercy!"  ejaculated  Napoleon,  harshly.  "Do  you  know 
the  crime  of  which  your  husband  stands  accused?" 

"  Sire,  I  know  only  that  he  worships  your  majesty ;  I  there- 
fore do  not  believe  in  his  guilt,"  exclaimed  the  princess. 

"He  has  acted  the  part  of  a  miserable  spy,"  added  Na- 
poleon, raising  his  voice.  "  After  he  had  already  sworn  to  me 
the  oath  of  obedience  and  fealty,  he  mailed  a  letter  to  the 
King  of  Prussia,  in  which  he  reported  to  him  the  number, 
the  spirit,  and  movements  of  the  French  troops.  That  is  the 
act  of  a  traitor  and  a  spy,  and  as  such  he  will  be  found  guilty 
by  the  court-martial  to-morrow." 

"  Sire,  it  is  impossible !  My  husband  cannot  have  done 
any  thing  of  the  kind.  Oh,  believe  me,  your  majesty,  he  is 
innocent !  He  has  been  slandered  in  order  to  bring  about  his 
ruin ;  but  he  is  innocent — assuredly  he  is  innocent!  He  never 
wrote  such  a  letter;  he  cannot  have  written  it!" 


THE  PRINCESS  VON  HATZFELD.  Ill 

The  emperor  quickly  walked  to  his  desk,  and  took  from  it 
a  paper,  which  he  handed  to  her.  "Here  is  the  letter,"  lie 
said.  "  Do  you  know  your  husband's  handwriting?" 

The  princess  fixed  her  eyes,  dimmed  by  tears,  on  the  paper 
she  held  in  her  trembling  hands.  She  then  uttered  a  cry,  so 
piercing  and  heartrending,  that  Duroc,  who  was  standing  at 
the  door,  felt  the  tears  starting  into  his  eyes.  Napoleon  him- 
self could  not  help  shuddering. 

"It  is  his  handwriting!"  muttered  the  princess,  dropping 
the  paper  upon  the  floor.  Her  quivering  lips  had  now  no 
longer  the  strength  and  courage  to  repeat  her  prayer — her 
head  fell  on  her  breast,  and  she  uttered  only  low  groans  and 
sobbed. 

The  emperor  seemed  to  be  touched  by  her  wordless  yet  elo- 
quent grief.  His  manner,  which  had  hitherto  been  stern, 
became  gentle  and  kind,  and  he  looked  down  with  an  expres- 
sion of  compassion  on  that  kneeling,  despairing  form.  He 
stooped,  picked  up  the  letter,  and  placed  it  in  the  hands  of 
the  princess.  "Madame,"  he  said,  "  here  is  the  letter.  Do 
with  it  what  you  please.  For  this  letter  is  the  only  thing 
proving  his  guilt." 

The  princess  looked  up  to  him  with  a  joyous,  surprised 
glance.  The  emperor  smiled,  and  pointed  silently  to  the  fire- 
place. She  rose  hastily  from  her  knees,  rushed  toward  the 
fire,  and  threw  the  paper  into  it. 

"It  is  burning!  It  is  burning!"  she  joyfully  shouted. 
"  My  husband  is  saved !  My  husband  is  free!"  and  uttering 
a  scream,  she  tottered  back,  and  fell  in  a  swoon  at  the  em- 
peror's feet. 

Duroc  rushed  to  her  aid,  and,  raising  her  in  his  arms,  was 
about  to  carry  her  out  of  the  room;  but  the  emperor  himself 
rolled  an  easy-chair  toward  her,  and  assisted  Duroc  in  placing 
her  on  it. 

"Now,  call  Roustan,"  said  Napoleon,  "he  will  help  you  to 
remove  the  fainting  lady.  But  quick,  lest  she  awake  and 
thank  me  I  Conduct  her  to  her  husband,  who  is  here  at  the 
palace.  Let  her  personally  announce  to  him  that  he  is  free, 
and  tell  him  that  he  is  indebted  for  his  release  solely  to  her 
intercession.  Make  haste!" 

Roustan  entered  as  soon  as  Duroc  called  him,  and  both  of 
them  carried  the  princess  on  the  easy-chair  out  of  the  room. 
The  emperor  gazed  musingly  after  them,  and  a  sarcastic  smile 
played  on  his  lips.  "Well,"  he  said  to  himself,  "I  believe 


112. 

this  scene  will  be  an  excellent  match  to  the  oath  at  the  grave 
of  Frederick  the  Great.  It  will  form  a  glorious  subject  for 
an  engraving — one  that  will  be  more  honorable  to  me  than 
was  the  oath  to  the  beautiful  queen.  Artists  will  be  delighted 
to  publish  such  an  engraving,  and  the  good  city  of  Berlin  will 
say  that  I  am  a  great  man,  and  know  how  to  forgive  injuries. " 

Just  then  Talleyrand,  who  had  the  right  to  enter  the  em- 
peror's cabinet  at  any  time,  without  being  announced, 
appeared  on  the  threshold. 

"Ah,  Talleyrand,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "if  you  had  come 
a  little  earlier,  you  would  have  witnessed  a  very  touching 
scene.  The  Princess  von  Hatzfeld  was  here." 

"  I  know  it,  sire.  I  have  just  met  the  poor  fainting  lady 
in  the  anteroom,  and  Duroc  described  to  me  in  a  few  words 
what  had  taken  place.  How  lucky  it  was  that  there  was  a  fire 
in  the  room!" 

The  emperor  bent  a  piercing  glance  upon  Talleyrand,  but 
the  minister's  face  was  perfectly  calm  and  impenetrable.  Not 
the  slightest  approach  to  a  sneer  was  visible  in  it. 

"  This  proof  of  generosity  will  win  the  hearts  of  all  to  your 
majesty,"  added  Talleyrand.  "  People  will  forget  Palm;  they 
v/ill  only  think  of  Hatzfeld,  and  praise  you  as  a  modern 
Caesar.  When  the  letters  his  enemies  had  written  to  Pompey 
were  shown  to  Caesar,  he  refused  to  read  them,  and  threw 
them  into  the  fire  (there  is  always  a  fire  burning  in  the  right 
place  and  at  the  right  moment),  saying,  'Although  I  am  sure 
to  master  my  anger,  yet  it  is  safer  to  destroy  its  cause.' 
Your  majesty  has  followed  Caesar's  example,  and,  if  you  have 
no  objection,  sire,  I  shall  induce  Professor  Lange  to  give 
an  enthusiastic  and  eloquent  account  of  this  sublime  scene 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin." 

"Then  you  have  already  gained  him  over  to  our  side?" 
asked  Napoleon.  "  The  ardent  champion  of  the  queen  has 
been  converted?" 

"  He  has,  sire,  thanks  to  his  fear  of  death,  and  to  the  five 
thousand  francs  which  I  offered  him,  and  which  had  the  same 
effect  upon  him  as  a  basilisk's  eye  on  the  bird.  These  Ger- 
man journalists,  it  seems,  are  even  more  needy  than  ours,  for 
they  can  be  had  for  less." 

"Five  thousand  francs,"  said  Napoleon,  musingly,  " and 
for  that  sum  he  sells  his  honor,  his  fealty,  and  his  conscience ! 
Ah,  what  miserable  creatures  men  are,  after  all,  and  how 
right  are  those  who  despise  them!" 


THE  SUPPLIANT  PRINCES.  113 

"Sire,  will  you  permit  me  to  enter  and  make  my  report?" 
asked  Duroc,  looking  in  at  the  door. 

"  Come  in,  grand  marshal.  And  now  tell  me,  how  is  the 
poor  princess?  Has  she  recovered  from  her  swoon?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  she  was  still  unconscious  when  we  carried  her 
into  her  husband's  room.  He  uttered  a  loud  cry,  rushed  to 
her,  and  clasped  her  in  his  arms.  She  was  awakened  by  his 
kisses  and  his  anxious  and  tender  ejaculations.  A  torrent  of 
tears  burst  forth,  and,  encircling  his  neck  with  her  arms,  she 
exclaimed,  'You  are  saved!  You  are  mine  again!  the  em- 
peror has  had  mercy  on  me!' ' 

"Poor  woman!  She  was  really  in  despair,  but  behaved 
very  nobly  and  with  a  great  deal  of  tact,  and  I  am  pleased 
with  her." 

Talleyrand  scarcely  smiled,  as  he  muttered  to  himself: 
"  Yes,  the  emperor  is  right  in  being  pleased  with  her,  for  the 
poor  little  lady  really  took  the  sentimental  farce  for  a  tragedy, 
and  neither  she  nor  Duroc  looked  behind  the  scenes."  * 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE     SUPPLIANT     PRINCES. 

THE  hour  when  Napoleon  was  to  give  audience  had  come, 
and  the  ministers  of  the  petty  German  princes,  who  had 
hitherto  vainly  implored  Talleyrand  to  procure  them  admission 
to  the  emperor,  were  at  length  to  accomplish  their  purpose, 
and  to  receive  from  the  mouth  of  the  conqueror  himself  the 
decision  of  their  fate.  He  was  in  his  cabinet  pacing  with 
rapid  steps,  while  Talleyrand  was  standing  at  the  desk,  and 
with  a  pencil  entering  a  few  notes  in  his  memorandum-book. 

*  This  occurrence  is  strictly  historical,  but  it  is  commented  ujton  bv  the  French 
and  German  historians  in  a  widely  different  sense.  The  French  historians,  without 
exception,  treat  it  as  a  touching  proof  of  the  emperor's  generosity.  So  does  Thiers 
in  Ins  "Histoire  du  Cousulat  et  de  1'Empire,  vol.  vii.,  p.  148;  and  the  I>uch<\ss 
d'Abrantes,  in  her  "M6moires,"  vol.  xi.,  p.  2-10  ;  as  well  as  Constant,  in  his  "M6- 
moires,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  380.  But  the  German  historians  treat  it  as  a  well-calculated  in- 
trigue, in  order  to  intimidate  the  nobility  by  an  act  of  severity,  and  to  conciliate 
them  by  the  subsequent  generosity  displayed  by  the  emperor"— Vide  "Memoires 
d'nn  Flommecrfitat."  vol.  Lx.,  p.  316  :  Schlosser's  "History  of  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury." vol.  vl.,  p.  232;  Haeusser's  "History  of  Germany."  vol  iii  .p.  42.  The  view 
taken  by  the  German  historians  is  supported  by  the  letter  of  the  Prince  von  Hatz- 
feld,  which  formed  the  sole  basis  of  tne  charges  preferred  against  him.  and  which 
the  French  take  care  not  to  lay  before  their  readers.  The  incriminated  passage  was 
as  follows  :  "Officially  I  know  nothing  of  the  French  army,  but  that  I  saw  yesterdav 
a  requisition  upon  the  municipality  of  Potsdam,  signed  by  D'AuItanne.  The  French 
say  their  army  is  eighty  thousand  strong.  Others  state  the  number  at  only  fifty 
thousand.  The  horses  of  the  cavalry  are  said  to  be  greatly  exhausted." 


114  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"No,"  said  the  emperor,  sullenly,  "I  shall  have  no  mercy 
on  these  petty  German  princes,  and  their  miserable  whining 
shall  not  shake  my  resolution.  Frederick  II.,  who  uttered 
the  most  cutting  sarcasms  against  these  petty  sovereigns, 
would  have  done  much  better  if  he  had  destroyed  these  grubs 
in  the  tree  of  royalty — if  he  had  made  a  new  crown  from  their 
small  coronets.  As  he  failed  to  do  so,  I  shall  not  imitate  the 
example  set  by  him,  and  my  brother  Jerome  shall  wear  the 
crown  which  shall  make  him  a  German  king." 

"  Your  majesty,  then,  will  adopt  the  plan  of  a  new  king- 
dom in  Northern  Germany,  which  I  had  the  honor  to  draw 
up?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  shall  somewhat  extend  the  boundaries,  which 
are  too  narrow  as  proposed  by  you.  How  much  of  Hesse,  for 
instance,  did  you  incorporate  with  the  new  kingdom?" 

"  Sire,  the  entire  northern  part  of  Hesse,  so  that  the  cities 
of  Marburg  and  Hersfeld  would  form  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  new  kingdom,  and  that  Cassel  would  be  a  good  capital 
for  the  new  king." 

"  And  you  would  leave  Hanau  and  Fulda  to  that  perfidious 
elector?"  saked  Napoleon.  "No,  no,  you  are  too  generous. 
The  Elector  of  Hesse  and  his  whole  family  deserve  to  be  an- 
nihilated, and  I  am  not  willing  to  have  mercy  on  him  or  on 
the  other  petty  tyrants.  Brunswick,  Nassau,  Cassel,  are  all 
friends  of  England;  they  never  will  be  faithful  allies  of  ours; 
it  is  best,  therefore,  to  depose  them." 

"The  elector  has  already  sent  hither  two  ambassadors, 
whom  he  has  authorized  to  give  us  the  most  fervent  assurances 
of  unwavering  fealty,"  said  Talleyrand,  smiling. 

"I  know  the  promises  of  these  legitimate  princes!"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  I  know  what 
they  are  worth.  So  long  as  they  are  in  prosperous  circum- 
stances, their  heart  is  full  of  haughtiness  and  malice.  There 
are,  in  their  eyes,  no  rights  of  man — only  rights  of  princes; 
no  subjects — only  slaves.  But  no  sooner  are  calamities  ap- 
proaching than  they  grow  discouraged,  and  in  their  cowardice 
they  degrade  themselves  before  their  people  so  far  as  to  flatter 
them  in  the  most  fulsome  and  abject  manner,  making  prom- 
ises to  them  which  they  are  neither  able  nor  willing  to  fulfil. 
I  have  been  told  that  these  loquacious  Germans,  in  their  im- 
potent wrath,  have  called  me  the  'Scourge  of  God!'  Well, 
then,  they  shall  be  right.  To  these  petty  princes  who  are 
playing  the  part  of  great  sovereigns,  and  perverting  the  role 


THE  SUPPLIANT  PRINCES.  115 

of  royalty  and  of  the  throne  into  a  miserable  farce — to  these 
caricatures  of  sovereignty — I  will  be  a  'scourge  of  God!'  I 
will  scourge  them  to  death!  Who  are  now  waiting  in  the 
anteroom?" 

"  Sire,  there  are  the  two  ambassadors  of  the  Elector  of 
Hesse,  M.  de  Malsburg  and  M.  de  Lepel;  Chancellor  von 
Midler,  ambassador  of  the  Duchess  of  Weimar;  M.  de 
Miinehhausen,  ambassador  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick;  and, 
finally,  a  deputation  of  Poles,  who  have  come  to  do  homage 
to  your  majesty." 

"I  shall  bid  the  Polish  ambassadors  welcome,"  exclaimed 
Napoleon,  emphatically,  "  and  make  to  these  gentlemen  many 
promises  representing  the  most  brilliant  prospects.  An  in- 
surrection in  Poland  just  now  would  be  highly  conducive  to 
the  success  of  my  plans.  I  will  try  to  bring  it  about  by  all 
the  means  at  my  disposal,  and  accomplish  my  purpose. 
Hence,  I  will  even  go  in  person  to  Warsaw  to  fan  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  Poles." 

"Sire,"  said  Talleyrand,  "that  will  be  throwing  down  the 
gauntlet  to  the  Austrian  government,  and  if  it  intends  to  pre- 
serve its  Polish  provinces,  it  will  have  to  take  it  up." 

"  We  must  take  care  that  Austria  does  not  regard  as  a 
gauntlet  the  bone  that  I  mean  to  throw  to  the  Poles,"  said 
Napoleon.  "  Yon  will  instruct  my  ambassador  at  Vienna  to 
dispel  carefully  all  such  suppositions  and  apprehensions,  by 
repairing  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria  and  assuring  him  that  I 
do  not  intend  to  fulfil  the  promises  which  I  am  making  to 
the  Poles;  that,  on  the  contrary,  in  case  a  rising  should  take 
place  in  Poland,  I  will  take  care  not  to  let  it  reach  Galicia, 
but  to  confine  it  to  the  Polish  provinces  of  Russia  and  Prussia, 
provided  the  Emperor  Francis  maintain  his  present  neu- 
trality. Send  instructions  to-day  to  this  effect  to  my  minister 
in  Vienna.  And  now  I  will  receive  the  ambassadors." 

"Whom  will  your  majesty  admit  first?" 

"Introduce  in  the  first  place  the  gentlemen  from  Hesse," 
said  Napoleon,  entering  the  small  reception-room  contiguous 
to  his  cabinet.  Talleyrand  crossed  this  room  and  entered  the 
adjoining  audience-hall,  in  which  the  plenipotentiaries  had 
already  waited  for  an  hour.  He  beckoned  the  two  ambassa- 
dors of  Hesse  to  approach,  and  introduced  them,  by  virtue  of 
his  position  as  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  into  the  reception- 
room,  where  the  emperor  was  waiting  for  them. 

"Sire,"  he  said,  "the  ambassadors  of  the  Elector  of  Hesse." 


116  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Napoleon  returned  only  a  careless  nod  to  their  deep  obei- 
sances, and  went  to  meet  them." 

"  I  admire  the  Elector  of  Hesse,  because  he  dares  to  remind 
me  of  himself,"  said  the  emperor,  sternly.  "He  has  been 
intriguing  against  me  too  long  to  suppose  that  I  would  deal 
leniently  with  him.  I  formerly  made  friendly  offers  to  him, 
and  requested  him  to  join  the  Confederation  of  the  Ehine. 
Then  it  was  time  for  him  to  prove  his  friendship  and  attach- 
ment to  me,  and  to  stand  by  me  as  a  faithful  ally.  But  at 
that  time  he  still  hoped  that  I  would  succumb  in  the  struggle 
with  Prussia ;  the  tirades  of  the  officers  of  the  Prussian  guard 
resounded  in  his  ears  like  the  music  of  a  triumph  already 
obtained  over  me,  and  drowned  the  voice  of  France.  But  he 
would  not  side  openly  with  Prussia  either;  he  would  remain 
neutral  until  he  could  distinctly  see  which  side  would  be  vic- 
torious. Equivocal  in  his  words  and  actions,  he  thought  only 
of  the  safety  of  his  person  and  his  riches,  and  not  of  his  coun- 
try, his  people,  and  his  honor!  Let  him  now  receive  the 
punishment  due  to  his  duplicity.  I  shall  take  possession  of 
his  states  and  appropriate  his  crown.  The  Elector  of  Hesse 
has  ceased  to  reign." 

"Sire,"  said  M.  de  Lepel,  in  a  timid,  suppliant  voice,  "  the 
elector  dares  to  appeal  to  the  generosity  of  your  majesty. 
Marshal  Mortier,  with  his  forces,  occupies  Cassel  and  the  Hes- 
sian states,  and  declares  them  to  be  French  possessions.  The 
elector  and  his  crown-prince  only  escaped  imprisonment  by 
flight." 

"  They  have  been  but  too  lucky  to  be  allowed  to  escape," 
exclaimed  Napoleon,  angrily.  "It  is  really  time  to  make  a 
rigorous  example  for  once,  and  to  prove  to  the  sovereigns, 
who  regard  war  as  a  game  of  hazard,  that  it  may  become 
very  serious,  and  that  they  may  lose  their  crown  and  life 
by  it.  That  would  induce  them  to  weigh  well  the  conse- 
quences of  war  in  their  councils  of  state  before  taking  up 
arms. " 

"  Sire,  the  elector,  our  master,  repents  of  what  he  has  done, 
and  acknowledges  that  he  was  wrong,"  said  M.  de  Malsburg, 
humbly.  "  His  highness  is  ready  to  bow  to  every  thing,  and 
to  submit  to  any  conditions  your  majesty  may  be  pleased  to 
impose  on  him." 

"What  does  that  mean?"  asked  Napoleon.  "What  does 
your  elector  mean  by  conditions?  I  do  not  remember 
having  imposed  any  conditions  on  him,  for  those  which  I 


THE  SUPPLIANT  PRINCES.  117 

offered  six  months  ago  were  annulled  by  the  events  that  have 
since  taken  place." 

"  But  the  elector  hopes  that  your  majesty,  nevertheless,  will 
remember  them,  and  show  favor  instead  of  deserved  punish- 
ment. Your  majesty,  by  so  sublime  an  act  of  generosity, 
would  forever  attach  our  master  and  his  whole  house  to  the 
French  empire.  You  would  have  no  more  faithful  and  de- 
voted servant  in  Germany  than  the  Elector  of  Hesse. " 

"Sire,"  said  Talleyrand,  approaching  suddenly,  "I  am  free 
to  intercede  for  the  Elector  of  Hesse,  who  is  so  humbly  im- 
ploring your  majesty  to  have  mercy  on  him !" 

"  Sire,  have  mercy  on  our  unfortunate  master,  who  is  wan- 
dering about  in  foreign  lauds,  solitary  and  deserted!"  ex- 
claimed M.  de  Malsburg,  in  a  tremulous  voice. 

"Have  mercy  on  our  state,  and  on  our  people,  who  are 
devoted  to  their  legitimate  sovereign,"  said  M.  de  Lepel. 
"Sire,  our  soldiers  have  been  disarmed  and  disbanded;  our 
treasury  seized,  and  a  French  governor-general  is  carrying  on 
the  administration  of  our  country  in  the  name  of  your  maj- 
esty; and  still  the  sovereign  and  the  people  hope  that  Na- 
poleon  will  have  mercy  on  them — Napoleon,  who  is  called  the 
Great,  not  only  because  he  knows  how  to  conquer  states,  but 
to  be  generous.  Sire,  the  sword  of  the  conqueror  builds  only 
visible  thrones  that  may  perish;  but  the  magnanimity  of  the 
conqueror  builds  in  the  hearts  of  men  thrones  that  are  im- 
perishable." 

"  Ah,  I  should  not  like  to  count  too  much  on  the  throne 
erected  in  the  heart  of  the  Elector  of  Hesse,"  said  Napoleon, 
shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"Sire,  will  not  your  majesty  listen  at  least  to  the  promises 
which  these  gentlemen  are  authorized  to  make  in  the  name  of 
the  elector?"  asked  Talleyrand. 

"  Well,  what  are  they?"  asked  Napoleon.  "  What  else  have 
you  to  say  to  me  in  the  name  of  your  sovereign?" 

"  Sire,  the  elector  is  ready  to  submit  at  discretion  to  your 
majesty,"  said  M.  de  Lepel.  "Above  all,  he  will  hasten  to 
join  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine.  Besides,  he  is  ready  to 
pay  a  contribution — to  surrender  the  fortresses  in  his  states 
to  the  French,  and  to  incorporate  twelve  thousand  men  with 
the  French  army.  He  only  implores  your  majesty,  in  con- 
sideration of  all  these  sacrifices,  to  leave  him  his  sovereignty, 
and  the  possession  of  his  titles,  honors,  and  hereditary  states." 

"No,"  ejaculated  the  emperor.     "No;  he  has  forfeited  his 

F — Ml'ULBACH  Vol..     10 


118  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

sovereignty ;  he  is  unworthy  of  being  a  prince.  There  is  no 
dynasty  in  Germany  which  has  been  a  more  persistent  enemy 
to  France  than  that  of  Hesse-Cassel.  Your  master  disdained 
to  grasp  the  hand  which  I  offered  to  him ;  the  sword  has  de- 
cided now  between  him  and  me.  Fate  urges  me  to  inflict 
upon  him  the  punishment  he  has  deserved  by  his  misdeeds. 
Do  not  tell  me  the  Hessian  people  sympathize  with  the  fate  of 
the  elector,  and  that  they  are  fondly  attached  to  their  legiti- 
mate sovereign.  It  is  not  true!  The  people  of  Hesse  are 
cursing  the  elector,  and  they  are  right  in  doing  so.  He  sold 
the  blood  of  his  subjects  to  England  for  many  years,  so  that 
she  might  wage  war  against  us  in  both  hemispheres.  To  this 
trade  in  human  beings  he  is  indebted  for  the  riches  which  he 
has  amassed,  and  with  which  he  has  now  fled  from  his  coun- 
try. Can  you  deny  this,  gentlemen?  Can  you  deny,  further, 
that  the  elector  bitterly  reproached  one  of  his  generals,  who 
commanded  the  troops  sold  to  England  in  America,  with  hav- 
ing held  back  his  men,  and  with  not  having  led  them  merci- 
lessly enough  into  the  fire?  Do  not  *the  Hessians  know  that 
the  elector  upbraided  him  in  this  manner  only  because  he 
received  twenty-five  ducats  for  every  soldier  who  was  killed  in 
battle?  Well,  why  do  you  not  speak?  Tell  me  that  this  is 
untrue — tell  me  that  thousands  of  mothers  are  not  weeping 
for  their  sons  who  have  fallen  in  America,  and  whose  graves 
they  will  never  behold — that  able-bodied  men  were  not  com- 
pelled by  thousands  to  leave  their  country  as  sold  slaves,  and 
that  the  imprecations  of  those  leaving  did  not  unite  with  the 
curses  of  those  remaining,  in  order  one  day  to  become  at  the 
throne  of  God  a  terrible  accusation  against  him  who  ruined 
his  states  and  his  people,  and  enriched  himself  with  the  blood 
and  tears  of  his  subjects.  Why  do  you  not  speak?  Dare  to 
say  again  the  Hessian  people  love  their  sovereign,  and  long 
for  his  return?  Speak!" 

His  voice  rolled  like  thunder ;  his  eyes  darte'd  fiery  glances 
at  the  two  gentlemen,  who  were  standing  before  him,  pale 
and  dismayed,  and  who  dared  not  look  in  the  face  of  the  em- 
peror. Even  Talleyrand,  by  an  involuntary  instinct  of  fear, 
had  withdrawn  several  steps  to  the  door,  and  his  face,  usually 
so  calm  and  imperturbable,  was  betraying  some  apprehensions 
lest  this  terrible  storm  might  be  discharged  on  him,  too,  and 
some  of  its  bolts  hurled  at  his  head. 

The  two  envoys  endeavored  to  utter  a  few  words,  but  they 
spoke  in  so  low  a  voice  that  no  one  understood  them.  They 


THE  SUPPLIANT  PRINCES.  119 

felt  that  the  eyes  of  Napoleon  were  still  fixed  on  them,  render- 
ing them  confused  and  incapable  of  making  any  reply. 

A  smile,  as  a  sunbeam,  flashed  through  the  clouds  on  the 
emperor's  face,  and  his  glance  became  milder.  "  I  see  at  least 
that  you  are  unable  to  deny  the  truth,"  he  said.  "  Go  home, 
gentlemen!  Tell  your  master  his  career  is  finished,  and  that 
he  has  ceased  to  reign.  Tell  the  people  of  Hesse,  however, 
that  they  shall  be  happy  and  prosperous  henceforward.  De- 
livered from  those  cruel  and  infamous  compulsory  services 
which  the  elector  was  in  the  habit  of  imposing  upon  his  sub- 
jects, the  people  will  now  be  able  to  devote  their  exclusive 
attention  to  the  culture  of  their  fields;  their  taxes  shall  be 
diminished,  and  they  shall  be  ruled  in  accordance  with  gener- 
ous and  liberal  principles.  Tell  the  people  of  Hesse  what  I 
have  said  to  you!  Go!" 

He  waved  his  hand  imperiously  toward  the  door  and  turned 
his  back  to  them.  With  drooping  heads,  pale  and  trembling, 
MM.  de  Lepel  and  de  Malsburg  left  the  room.  Napoleon 
stepped  to  the  window,  and  was  vigorously  drumming  a 
march  on  the  rattling  panes. 

"Sire,"  said  the  feeble  voice  of  Talleyrand  behind  him, 
"sire,  the  ambassador  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick." 

"  The  Duke  of  Brunswick?"  asked  Napoleon,  quickly  turn- 
ing to  the  gentleman  who  was  standing  by  the  side  of  Talley- 
rand, and  who  bowed  deeply  as  soon  as  the  emperor  fixed  his 
eyes  upon  him.  "The  Duke  of  Brunswick?"  repeated  Na- 
poleon. I  do  not  know  any  Duke  of  Brunswick.  It  may 
be  that  I  shall  remember  him  after  a  while.  Let  the  dear 
duke  wait  until  then.  I  have  to  attend  to  more  important 
matters  than  to  quarrel  about  antiquated  and  lost  titles. 
Who  else  desires  an  audience?" 

"  Sire,  the  ambassador  of  the  Duchess  of  Weimar,"  said 
Talleyrand. 

"  Introduce  him,"  commanded  Napoleon,  "  and  in  the  mean 
time,  sir,  explain  to  me,"  he  said  to  M.  de  Miinchhausen — 
"explain  to  me  who  is  the  Duke  of  Brunswick." 

"  Sire,  he  is  a  mortally  wounded,  a  blind  old  man,  who  im- 
plores your  majesty  to  permit  him  to  die  quietly  in  his  capi- 
tal, and  sleep  in  the  tomb  of  his  ancestors,"  said  the  ambas- 
sador, deeply  affected.  "  But  in  order  to  die  calmly,  he 
implores  your  majesty  to  give  him  the  assurance  that  you  will 
not  deprive  his  son  of  the  inheritance  of  his  ancestors,  and 
that  you  will  not  avenge  upon  the  sou  the  misfortunes  of  the 


120  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

father.  Sire,  the  dying  Duke  of  Brunswick  sends  me  to 
recommend  his  family  and  his  state  to  your  majesty." 

"The  ambassador  of  the  Duchess  of  "Weimar,"  said  Talley- 
rand, entering  with  M.  de  Miiller. 

The  emperor  greeted  with  a  rapid  nod  the  envoy  of  Wei- 
mar, and  then  turned  once  more  to  that  of  the  unhappy  Duke 
of  Brunswick. 

"  I  know  of  no  Duke  of  Brunswick,"  said  Napoleon,  sternly. 
"  His  name  and  titles  have  been  buried  on  the  battle-field  of 
Auerstadt.  What  would  he  who  sent  you  have  to  say  if  I 
were  to  inflict  on  the  city  of  Brunswick  that  subversion  with 
which,  fifteen  years  ago,  he  threatened  the  capital  of  the  great 
nation  which  I  command?  *  The  Duke  of  Brunswick  has  dis- 
avowed the  insensate  manifesto  of  1792;  one  would  have 
thought  that  with  age  reason  had  begun  to  get  the  better  of 
his  passions,  and  yet  he  has  again  lent  the  authority  of  his 
name  to  the  follies  of  hot-headed  youth,  which  have  brought 
ruin  upon  Prussia.  To  him  it  belonged  to  put  women,  court- 
iers, and  young  officers,  into  their  proper  places,  and  to  make 
all  feel  the  authority  of  his  age,  of  his  understanding,  and 
position.  But  he  had  not  the  strength  to  do  so,  and  the 
Prussian  monarchy  is  demolished,  and  the  states  of  Brunswick 
are  in  my  power.  Tell  him  that  I  shall  show  him  that  con- 
sideration which  is  due  to  an  unfortunate  general,  justly  cele- 
brated, struck  by  that  fate  which  may  reach  us  all;  but  that 
I  cannot  recognize  a  sovereign  prince  in  a  general  of  the 
Prussian  army.  After  his  conduct  toward  France  he  cannot 
,  expect  me  to  exercise  toward  him  a  ridiculous  and  undeserved 
generosity." 

The  ambassador  of  Brunswick  withdrew,  sighing,  and  with 
tearful  eyes,  f  The  emperor  looked  gloomily  at  him  till  he 
had  disappeared. 

*  When  the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  at  the  head  of  the  army,  of  the  King  of  Prussia, 
took  the  field  against  the  French,  he  said,  in  a  manifesto  to  his  troops,  "We  will 
conquer  and  burn  the  rapacious  city  of  Paris." 

t  As  soon  as  M.  de  Munchhausen  returned  to  Brunswick  and  communicated  to 
the  unfortunate  duke  the  utter  failure  of  his  mission  and  Napoleon's  threatening  re- 


ply, the  mortally  wounded  old  man  left  his  capital  and  state,  in  order  not  to  run  the 
additional  risk  of  being  taken  prisoner  by  the  French.  On  leaving  his  palace,  carried 
on  a  litter  by  his  faithful  servants,  he  was  heard  to  wail  in  a  low  voice,  "  Quelle 


honte  !  quelle  honte  !  "  and  the  tears  burst  from  the  sockets  of  his  ruined  eyes.  The 
Duke  of  Brunswick  had  gone  by  way  of  Celle,  Hamburg,  and  Altona,  to  Ottensen,  a 
village  on  Danish  soil.  But  since  the  day  on  which  he  had  been  compelled  to  leave 
the  palace  of  his  ancestors  and  his  state  as  a  fugitive,  he  would  take  no  food  ;  he 
would  not  support  the  burden  of  life  any  more — death  by  starvation  was  to  deliver 
him  from  his  sufferings.  It  was  in  vain  that  his  servants  and  his  faithful  physician 
implored  him  to  desist  from  this  fatal  purpose  ;  he  remained  immovable.  Only  once 
the  supplications  of  his  physician  succeeded  in  persuading  him  to  eat  an  oyster. 
Formerly  oysters  had  been  a  favorite  dish  of  the  duke,  and  they  excited  his  appetite 
even  now.  But  scarcely  had  he  tasted  it  when  he  repented  of  his  weakness,  and  his 


THE  SUPPLIANT  PRINCES.  121 

"And  now,  Talleyrand,  I  will  go  to  greet  the  envoys  of 
Poland,"  he  said,  taking  his  hat,  and  advancing  a  few  steps. 
But  at  that  moment  his  eyes,  as  if  accidentally,  seemed  to  be- 
hold M.  de  Miiller,  who  was  standing  by  the  side  of  Talley- 
rand. "Ah,  I  forgot  the  ambassador  of  the  Duchess  of 
Weimar.  Well,  perhaps  it  would  have  been  fortunate  for  you 
if  I  had  forgotten  you.  For  when  remembering  you,  I  must 
remember  the  arrogance  and  obstinacy  of  that  little  duke  who 
dared  to  oppose  me  and  endeavored  to  frustrate  my  will." 

"Sire, "said  M.  de  Miiller,  "the  duke  believed  that  his 
honor,  his  duty,  and  his  rank  required  him  not  to  act  con- 
trary to  military  fealty.  He  was  connected  with  Prussia  by 
virtue  of  military  treaties  of  long  years'  standing;  hence,  he 
believed  it  incumbent  on  him  to  adhere  to  them  even  when 
the  King  of  Prussia,  to  the  profound  personal  regret  of  the 
duke,  entered  into  open  hostilities  against  France." 

"Ah,  bah!  treaties!"  ejaculated  Napoleon.  "I  tell  you, 
your  duke  had  not  his  senses  about  him  when  he  dared  to 
oppose  me.  This  is  a  good  time  for  any  prince  to  lose  his 
states  in  a  moment.  You  have  just  seen  how  I  have  acted  in 
the  case  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick.  I  shall  have  no  mercy  on 
those  who  oppose  me  and  dare  to  bid  me  defiance!  I  will 
drive  these  wolves  back  into  the  swamps  of  Italy,  whence 
they  came!"  Throwing  his  hat  with  an  angry  gesture  on  the 
floor,  the  emperor  added  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Like  this  hat,  I 
will  crush  them,  so  that  no  one  in  Germany  will  ever  think 
of  them.  I  feel  really  tempted  to  treat  your  prince  in  the 
same  manner!" 

"  Sire,  your  majesty,  however,  condescended  to  lend  a 
favorable  ear  to  the  prayers  of  the  Duchess  of  Weimar,"  said 
the  ambassador,  in  a  timid  voice. 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Napoleon,  "  the  duchess  is  a  noble  lady; 
"  if  I  pardon  her  husband,  it  is  only  for  her  sake,  and  because 
she  is  a  sister  of  a  princess  closely  related  to  me.  But  you 
ought  not  to  rely  too  much  on  my  forbearance  and  generosity. 
If  the  duke  persists  any  longer  in  his  resistance — if  it  be  true 
that  he  has  not  yet  left  the  Prussian  service — I  take  back  the 
promise  I  gave  the  duchess,  and  your  duke  shall  learn  what  it 
is  to  oppose  me!" 

fixed  purpose  to  die  of  hunger  returned  as  Intensely  as  ever.  He  spit  out  the  oyster 
and  cried,  "  Man,  what  are  you  doing  ?  You  give  me  my  eyes  to  vat  ! "  Hencefor- 
ward it  was  impossible  to  shake  his  determination.  He  died  after  long,  excruciating 
sufferings,  on  the  10th  of  November,  1KX5,  at  Ottenacu.  His  remains  were  brought 
back  to  Brunswick  on  the  10th  of  November.  1810,  by  his  son  and  successor,  Duke 
Frederick  William,  so  famous  as  commander  of  the  Corps  of  Vengeance. 


122  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Sire,"  said  M.  de  Miiller,  "the  duchess  sent  me  hither  in 
order  to  inform  your  majesty  that  her  husband  has  left  the 
Prussian  service,  and  will  return  to  Weimar  to  occupy  himself 
only  with  the  welfare  of  his  own  state.  She  ventures  now  to 
remind  your  majesty  of  your  promise  to  forgive  the  duke  and 
leave  him  in  possession  of  his  inheritance." 

"Well,  if  that  be  so,  I  shall  fulfil  my  promise,"  said  Na- 
poleon, in  a  milder  voice.  "  I  shall  not  deprive  your  master 
of  his  sovereignty ;  but,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  will  have  to 
submit  to  some  sacrifices.  I  shall  communicate  my  wishes 
concerning  this  point  to  my  minister,  M.  de  Talleyrand,  and 
he  will  inform  you  of  them.  Do  not  fail  to  give  the  duke 
distinctly  to  understand  that  he  is  indebted  for  his  state  and 
political  existence  solely  to  the  respect  I  feel  for  his  wife  and 
her  sister,  the  Margravine  of  Baden."  The  conqueror  nodded 
to  the  envoy  and  walked  toward  the  door  leading  into  the 
audience-hall.  Talleyrand  quickly  picked  up  the  emperor's 
hat  from  the  floor,  and  carrying  it  to  him,  said,  "  Sire,  you 
have  lost  your  hat." 

Napoleon  smiled.  "Well,"  he  said,  "now-a-days,  when  so 
many  lose  their  heads  and  their  crowns, "a  man  may  be  par- 
doned for  once  losing  his  hat.  Come,  Accompany  me  to  the 
good,  enthusiastic  Poles!" 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

TRIUMPH      AND      DEFEAT. 

SCARCELY  had  the  emperor  crossed  the  threshold  of  the 
audience  hall,  when  it  resounded  with  cheers  and  the  con- 
stantly-repeated shout  of  "  Vive  VEmpereur!  "  He  thanked 
the  envoys  of  Poland  for  these  greetings,  and  quickly  ap- 
proached them.  They  presented  a  magnificent  spectacle  in 
their  national  costume,  adorned  as  it  was  with  gorgeous  em- 
broidery and  diamonds.  "  Introduce  these  gentlemen  to  me, 
Talleyrand,"  he  said;  "I  will  cherish  in  my  memory  the 
names  of  those  whom  henceforth  I  shall  regard  as  friends!" 

When  Talleyrand  presented  them  in  succession,  Napoleon 
listened  to  each  of  their  high-sounding  old  aristocratic  names 
with  a  kindly  nod  and  a  gracious  air,  which  delighted  the 
hearts  of  the  Poles. 


TRIUMPH  AND  DEFEAT.  123 

"Sire,"  said  the  Count  of  Dombrowsky,  a  silvery-haired 
man  of  seventy  years— -"  sire,  in  bending  our  knees  before 
your  majesty,  we  represent  all  Poland,  which  is  exclaiming, 
'God  save  Napoleon  the  Great! — the  liberator  of  nations!' ' 

"God  save  Napoleon  the  Great! — the  liberator  of  nations!" 
echoed  the  others,  kneeling  down  and  extending  their  arms 
toward  the  emperor. 

"  Liberator  of  nations!"  repeated  Napoleon,  smiling.  "  No 
one  can  liberate  nations  unless  they  do  so  themselves." 

"  But,  in  order  to  liberate  themselves,  the  nations  stand  in 
need  of  a  noble  and  high-minded  chieftain !"  exclaimed  the 
old  count.  "  Sire,  the  Polish  nation  trusts  in  you;  it  is  on 
its  knees,  praying  your  majesty  that  you  may  become  the 
liberator  whom  it  has  so  long  looked  for.  The  great  Napoleon 
has  arisen  upon  France  like  a  sun — he  has  come,  seen,  and 
vanquished  the  universe!  0  invincible  Caesar!  In  seeing 
you,  all  my  wishes  and  those  of  my  countrymen  are  fulfilled! 
Already  we  consider  our  country  as  saved,  for  in  your  person 
we  worship  the  wisest  and  most  equitable  of  legislators.  You 
will  redeem  us!  You  will  not  permit  Poland  to  be  dismem- 
bered. Oh,  sire,  Poland  puts  her  trust  in  the  redeemer  of 
nations!  Poland  puts  her  trust  in  Napoleon  the  Great,  who 
will  raise  her  from  her  degradation!" 

"Poland  puts  her  trust  in  you,"  repeated  the  Poles;  and, 
in  the  enthusiasm  of  their  patriotism,  forgetful  of  etiquette, 
they  crowded  around  Napoleon,  and,  again  kneeling,  kissed 
his  hands  and  the  hem  of  his  garment. 

Napoleon  smilingly  allowed  them  to  do  so,  but  his  eyes  as- 
sumed a  graver  expression.  "  Rise  now,  gentlemen,"  he  said, 
"  I  have  received  through  you  the  homage  of  poor,  weeping 
Polonia,  but  now  let  me  receive  also  in  you  the  brave  sons  of 
this  unhappy  land,  and  speak  to  the  men  of  Poland.  Rise!" 

The  Poles  rose,  and  looked  with  beaming  eyes  and  in 
breathless  suspense  at  the  emperor,  whose  face  exhibited  the 
austere  regularity  of  a  statue  of  ancient  Rome. 

"It  would  afford  me  the  liveliest  pleasure  to  see  the  royal 
throne  of  Poland  restored,"  he  said,  "for  it  would  also  secure 
the  independence  of  the  adjoining  states,  which  are  now 
threatened  by  the  unmeasured  ambition  of  Russia.  But  words 
and  idle  wishes  are  not  sufficient.  When  the  priests,  the 
nobility,  and  the  citizens,  make  common  cause — when  they 
are  determined  to  conquer  or  die — then  they  will  triumph, 
and  may  count  on  my  protection." 


124  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Sire,  the  nobility,  priests,  and  citizens,  are  already  united 
and  resolved,"  exclaimed  Count  Dombrowsky.  "  We  are  only 
waiting  for  our  liberator  to  proclaim  our  independence." 

Napoleon  assumed  a  very  serious  air.  "  I  cannot  proclaim 
your  independence  before  you  are  determined,  sword  in  hand, 
to  defend  your  rights  as  a  nation." 

"Sire,  we  are  so  determined!"  unanimously  shouted  the 
Poles. 

The  emperor  received  this  interruption  with  a  gracious 
smile  and  added :  "  You  have  been  upbraided  with  losing 
sight  of  your  genuine  interest,  and  of  the  welfare  of  your 
country,  during  your  long-continued  domestic  dissensions. 
Taught  by  your  misfortunes,  be  harmonious,  and  prove  to  the 
world  that  the  whole  Polish  natiori  is  animated  by  one 
spirit. " 

"  Sire,  we  will  prove  it  to  the  world,"  exclaimed  the  Poles, 
lifting  up  their  hands,  as  if  taking  a  solemn  oath. 

The  emperor  turned  his  stern  eyes  slowly  and  piercingly 
from  one  to  another.  He  apparently  wished  to  greet  them 
all,  and  to  read  the  innermost  recesses  of  their  hearts.  Then 
he  said,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  The  restoration  of  Poland  requires 
blood — blood,  and  again,  Hood!" 

"  Sire,  we  are  joyously  ready  to  shed  ours  for  the  sacred 
cause  of  the  fatherland,"  exclaimed  Count  Kaczinsky.  "We 
wish  to  know  only,  or  at  least  hope,  that  it  will  not  be  in 
vain.  Sire,  Poland  is  extending  her  arms  toward  you ;  she  is 
beckoning  you  with  a  passionate  love;  she  is  longingly  calling 
to  you,  'Great  Cassar,  come  to  my  aid,  that  the  sun  may  once 
more  beam  upon  me — that  you  may  disperse  the  long  night  of 
my  torture,  and  that  a  happy  day  may  again  dawn  for  me!' 
Oh,  sire,  will  you  listen  to  the  supplications  of  Poland? — will 
you  come  to  her  and  break  her  chains?" 

"No,"  said  Napoleon,  "I  will  not  go  to  weeping  Poland, 
shaking  her  chains,  and  only  wailing  and  complaining  instead 
of  acting,  but  I  will  go  to  the  men  and  heroes  of  Poland,  who 
have  thrown  off  their  fetters,  and  shed  their  blood  for  their 
country !  Go  home  and  tell  this  to  your  countrymen,  and  ask 
them  when  I  shall  come!" 

"Sire,  they  will  say  as  we  say  now,  'God  save  Caesar!  We 
clash  our  swords,  and  dance  the  sacred  war-dance,  that  he 
may  come  and  let  us  see  his  face!' ' 

"  As  soon  as  it  is  time,"  said  Napoleon,  significantly.  "  Go, 
my  friends,  and  tell  your  countrymen  so.  The  time  for  weep- 


TRIUMPH  AND  DEFEAT.  125 

ing  is  past — that  for  action  has  come.  Improve  it,  and  be 
wise.  Return  home  as  fast  as  you  can,  for  I  should  like  to  be 
with  you  before  the  present  year  has  expired.  Farewell!" 

He  greeted  them  in  so  winning  a  manner  that,  charmed 
with  his  affability,  they  again  enthusiastically  shouted,  "  Long 
live  Napoleon  the  Great,  the  liberator  of  nations!"  Amid  the 
cheers  of  the  sanguine  Poles,  Napoleon  returned  to  the  small 
reception-room,  accompanied  by  Talleyrand,  whom  he  had 
beckoned  to  follow. 

"Well, "asked  he  when  they  were  alone,  "what  do  you 
think  of  it?  Will  the  Poles  rise?" 

"  I  am  convinced  of  it,  sire !  Your  words  were  like  the 
steel  striking  the  flint,  and  kindling  the  tinder  of  their 
national  ardor.  It  will  burn,  sire — burn  so  brightly  that 
Eussia,  Austria,  and  Prussia,  may  be  badly  injured  in  their 
Polish  provinces." 

"Certainly  not  Austria,"  said  Napoleon,  quickly;  "for  the 
rest,  we  shall  know  how  to  extinguish  the  fire  as  soon  as  it 
burns  too  extensively.  Forward  your  dispatch  to  our  ambas- 
sador in  Vienna  to-day.  He  is  to  assure  the  Emperor  of  Aus- 
tria in  the  most  emphatic  manner  that  I  do  not  intend 
permitting  the  Polish  insurrection  to  spread  too  far,  and  that 
his  Galician  provinces,  at  all  events,  shall  not  be  endangered. 
— Well,  Duroc,  what  do  you  bring?"  continued  he,  when  the 
door  opened,  and  the  grand  marshal  entered  with  a  letter  in 
his  hand. 

"  Sire,  I  bring  two  messages  at  the  same  time.  In  the  first 
place,  a  new  envoy  of  the  King  of  Prussia  has  just  arrived ; 
he  is  the  bearer  of  this  letter  which  the  king,  who  is  now  at 
Graudenz,  has  addressed  to  your  majesty." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "he  is  at  Graudenz,  which  is 
still  closer  to  the  boundary  of  his  states.  But  I  will  drive 
him  to  the  last  town  on  the  frontier.  The  queen  must  learn 
what  it  is  to  provoke  a  war!"  He  took  the  letter,  which 
Duroc  handed  to  him,  and  opened  it  hastily. 

"Sire,"  said  Duroc,  "the  bearer  of  that  letter,  Major  von 
Rauch,  asks  the  favor  of  an  audience,  in  order  to  lay  before 
your  majesty  the  wishes  and  requests  of  his  king,  who  has 
orally  communicated  them  to  him." 

Napoleon  turned  to  Talleyrand.  "Receive  him  first,"  he 
said ;  "  then  report  to  me,  and  we  shall  see  whether  I  can 
grant  him  an  interview.  But,  wait  a  moment!  Let  us  first 
see  what  is  in  the  king's  letter."  He  broke  the  seal  and  un- 


126  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

folded  the  paper.  When  about  to  read  it,  he  raised  his  eyes 
toward  Duroc. 

"  Sire,  Prince  Augustus  of  Prussia  has  just  arrived  as  a 
prisoner  of  war,  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  our  soldiers. 
The  Grand-duke  of  Berg  sends  him  to  your  majesty  as  a 
trophy  of  your  victory.  Colonel  de  Gerard  accompanies 
him." 

"Did  the  prince  behave  as  a  brave  soldier?"  asked  Na- 
poleon. 

"  Sir,  Colonel  de  Gerard  states  that  even  our  own  men  ad- 
mire his  heroism.  The  prince  had  separated  himself  with  a 
battalion  of  grenadiers  from  the  corps  of  the  Prince  von 
Hohenlohe,  and  was  marching  along  the  Uker.  Our  dragoons 
were  pursuing  him,  but  he  repulsed  them  repeatedly,  and 
would  have  succeeded  in  escaping,  with  his  soldiers,  if  the 
impassable  character  of  the  ground  had  not  detained  him. 
He  got  into  a  marshy  country,  intersected  by  many  small 
canals,  which  greatly  impeded  him.  The  horses  sank  into 
the  mud,  and  their  riders  had  to  alight  and  lead  them.  The 
prince  also  was  compelled  to  wade  through  on  foot.  He  was 
leading  his  charger  by  the  bridle,  and  just  as  he  felt  firm 
ground  under  him,  and  was  about  mounting,  the  horse  broke 
from  him  and  plunged  into  the  Uker  to  save  its  own  life. 
Our  dragoons  succeeded  then  in  overtaking  and  capturing  the 
prince ;  and  the  Prussians,  seeing  that  their  leader  was  taken, 
also  surrendered.  The  grand-duke  reports  this  affair  at 
length  to  your  majesty,  because  he  knows  that  you  honor 
bravery  in  an  enemy,  and  because  this  living  trophy  would  no 
doubt  assume  a  higher  value  in  your  eyes." 

"Where  is  the  prince?"  asked  Napoleon,  quickly. 

"  Sire,  he  is  in  the  anteroom,  and  awaits  whatever  dis- 
position your  majesty  may  make  of  him.  Sire,  he  humbly 
requests  your  majesty  to  permit  him  to  repair  to  his  parents, 
to  recover  from  his  wounds." 

"I  will  see  him.     Admit  him  at  once." 

"  Sire,  would  not  your  majesty  graciously  permit  him  to 
arrange  his  toilet  a  little?"  asked  Duroc.  "  The  prince  is  not 
dressed  sufficiently  well  to  appear  before  your  majesty." 

"No  matter,"  said  Napoleon.  "Bring  him  in  immedi- 
ately." He  waved  his  hand  to  Duroc,  and  then  looked 
again  at  the  letter  which  he  still  held  in  his  hand. 

Talleyrand,  who  was  standing  near  him,  fixed  his  subtle 
eyes  on  the  emperor's  face.  He  saw  that  it  brightened  up 


TRIUMPH  AND  DEFEAT.  127 

with  proud  satisfaction,  and  that  graually  a  cold,  disdainful 
smile  played  on  his  lips. 

"  I  shall  be  able  to  impose  very  rigorous  conditions  upon 
the  new  Prussian  envoys,"  said  Talleyrand  to  himself ;  "the 
king  seems  to  submit  very  humbly,  for  the  pride  of  a  trium- 
pliator  is  beaming  on  the  emperor's  forehead." 

Just  then  Napoleon  threw  the  letter  impetuously  on  the 
table.  "Head  it,  Talleyrand,"  he  said,  carelessly.  "It  is 
always  instructive  to  see  how  small  these  men  are  in  adversity, 
and  how  overbearing  in  prosperity.  And  such  men  desire  to 
be  sovereign  princes,  and  wear  a  crown!" 

Talleyrand  was  extending  his  hand  toward  the  letter  when 
the  door  opened,  and  the  grand  marshal  entered. 

"  Sire,"  he  exclaimed,  "  Prince  Augustus  of  Prussia." 

"  Let  him  come  in,"  said  Napoleon,  sitting  down  slowly  and 
carelessly  in  the  easy-chair,  covered  with  purple  velvet,  which 
was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  He  beckoned  Talley- 
rand to  come  to  him. 

At  this  moment  there  appeared  on  the  threshold  the  tall, 
slender  form  of  Prince  Augustus  of  Prussia.  Duroc  was 
right ;  the  prince  was  not  in  very  courtly  trim  to  appear  be- 
fore the  emperor.  His  uniform  was  torn  and  bespattered ;  he 
had  but  one  boot,  and  that  covered  with  mire ;  the  other  had 
stuck  in  the  marshy  ground  near  Schonermark,  and  he  had 
replaced  it  by  a  heavy  wooden  shoe,  such  as  those  worn  by 
German  peasants;  his  right  arm  was  in  a  linen  bandage, 
flecked  with  blood,  and  an  oblique  wound,  covered  with  a 
broad  black  plaster,  was  on  his  forehead.  Such  was  the  mis- 
erable condition  in  which  the  nephew  of  Frederick  the  Great 
appeared  in  the  brilliant  halls  of  the  royal  palace  of  Prussia 
before  the  conqueror  of  his  country  and  of  his  house,  who  re- 
ceived him,  seated,  and  scarcely  nodded  in  return  to  the  stiff 
military  salutation  of  the  prince.  Napoleon  looked  sternly  at 
the  prisoner,  and  his  lips  betrayed  the  anger  seething  in  his 
breast.  The  prince,  however,  apparently  did  not  notice  this, 
nor  feel  uneasy  and  irritated  at  the  singular  situation  in 
which  he  found  himself;  his  eyes  met  those  of  the  emperor 
calmly  and  fearlessly;  he  did  not  bow  his  head,  but  carried  it 
erect;  not  a  trace  of  fear  or  sorrow  was  to  be  seen  in  his 
youthful  'countenance ;  a  faint  smile  indeed  was  playing  on 
his  red,  full  lips  when  he  glanced  over  the  room,  and  again  at 
Napoleon,  behind  whom  Talleyrand  and  Duroc  were  standing 
in  a  most  respectful  attitude. 


128  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  You  are  a  brother  of  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand,  who  was 
killed  at  Saalfeld?"  asked  the  conqueror,  in  a  harsh  voice. 

"  Yes,  sire,  I  am  a  son  of  Prince  Ferdinand  of  Prussia," 
was  the  grave  reply. 

"A  nephew  of  Frederick  II.,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "A 
nephew  of  the  heroic  king  who  loved  France  so  well,  that  his 
heart  and  opinions  were  those  of  a  Frenchman." 

"Sire,"  said  the  prince,  calmly,  "history  teaches,  however, 
that  the  great  king  was  not  always  the  friend  of  that  coun- 
try, and  that  his  love  for  it  did  not  prevent  him  from  waging 
war  against  it.  His  enmity  against  France  gained  him  no 
less  glory  than  his  friendships  for  its  poets  and  savants. 

"Ah,  you  refer  to  Rossbach,"  said  Napoleon,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  "  We  have  expunged  that  name  with  the  names  of 
Jena  and  Auerstadt,  and  the  monument  that  once  stood  on 
the  battle-field  of  Kossbach  is  now  on  the  way  to  Paris — a 
trophy  of  our  victorious  army."  * 

The  prince  bent  his  head  a  little.  "It  is  true,"  he  said, 
"  the  goddess  of  victory  is  very  fickle.  The  future  therefore 
consoles  those  who  have  succumbed  in  the  present." 

The  emperor  cast  an  angry  glance  on  the  prince,  who  met 
it  with  a  bold,  unflinching  air. 

"  I  see  you  are,  both  by  birth  and  sentiment,  a  brother  of 
Prince  Louis  Ferdinand,"  said  Napoleon.  "  Like  him,  you 
belonged  to  the  hot-headed  young  men  who  would  have  war 
at  any  price.  Hard  blows  were  required  to  moderate  your 
war-fever.  I  hope  you  are  cured  of  it  now.  Your  brother 
has  expiated  his  mad  arrogance  on  the  battle-field  of  Saalfeld. 
It  is  your  fate  to  return  as  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  most 
pitiful  plight  to  the  capital  of  Prussia,  which  you  left  a  few 
weeks  since  with  such  foolish  hopes  of  victory.  You  ought 
to  have  listened  in  time  to  reason,  and  not  to  the  siren  voice 
of  the  queen,  who,  in  a  manner  so  disastrous  to  Prussia,  in- 
veigled all  the  young  men  to  plunge  into  the  Charybdis  of 
war,  and — " 

*  On  the  day  after  the  battle  of  Jena,  the  emperor  said  to  General  Savory,  while 
riding  across  the  battle-field  of  Rossbach,  between  Halle  and  Merseburg  :  "Gallop 
to  the  left  in  this  direction  ;  about  half  a  mile  from  here  you  will  find  the  column 
erected  by  the  Prussians  in  memory  of  that  battle."  Savary  advanced  in  the 
direction  indicated,  and  found  the  small  column  in  the  middle  of  a  corn-field.  Wav- 
ing his  handkerchief,  General  Savary  made  a  sign  that  he  had  succeeded  in  discover- 
ing the  monument,  and  Napoleon  galloped  with  his  suite  across  the^  plain  to  con- 
template it.  The  storms  of  half  a  century  had  beaten  upon  it,  and  it  was  difficult  to 
decipher  the  numerous  inscriptions  with  which  it  was  covered.  The  division  of  Gen- 
eral Suchet  just  passing  the  spot,  the  emperor  ordered  them  to  have  the  monument 
removed  and  sent  to  Paris.  The  pieces  were  put  into  a  caisson,  and  the  orders  ex 
ecuted.— '•  Memoirs  edu  Due  de  Bovigo,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  293. 


TRIUMPH  AND  DEFEAT.  129 

"Sire,"  said  the  prince,  interrupting  him  in  un  almost 
threatening  voice — "  sire,  no  reflections  on  the  queen,  if  you 
please!  Having  conquered  us,  you  are  at  liberty  to  humiliate 
and  abuse  the  vanquished,  if  your  majesty  derive  pleasure 
from  such  a  triumph,  but  the  noble  and  unhappy  queen 
should  not  be  dragged  into  a  quarrel  of  men.  We  do  not 
claim  the  excuse  of  having  been  inveigled  by  her,  and  her 
exalted  virtue  does  not  deserve  that  charge." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  scornfully,  "like  all  young 
men,  you  seem  to  belong  to  the  enthusiastic  admirers  of  the 
queen." 

"  Sire,  that  proves  that  the  young  men  of  Prussia  are  still 
imbued  with  respect  for  virtue.  It  is  true  we  all  adore  the 
queen  as  our  tutelary  saint;  she  is  the  radiant  pattern  of  our 
mothers,  our  wives,  and  daughters;  she  is  the  ideal  of  all — 
and  those  who  have  once  been  so  happy  as  to  have  seen  and 
spoken  with  her,  bow  to  her  in  love  and  admiration." 

"  Had  all  of  you  bowed  less  to  her,  Prussia  would  not  now 
lie  humiliated  in  the  dust,"  said  the  emperor,  harshly. 
"  Prussia  and  France  are  destined  by  Nature  to  be  friends, 
and  I,  who  never  have  sought  war,  but  always  regarded  it 
only  as  a  deplorable  necessity,  was  greatly  inclined  to  offer  my 
hand  to  Prussia  in  pence  and  friendship.  But  your  queen 
and  your  officers  of  the  guard  were  bent  on  having  war,  and 
believed  they  would  win  laurels  by  waging  it.  Now  you  have 
it  with  all  its  terrors.  What  has  it  brought  upon  you?  You 
have  lost  a  brother  by  it,  and  you  yourself  had  to  lay  down 
your  arms  at  Prenzlau." 

"Sire,"  said  the  prince,  in  generous  pride,  "I  request  your 
majesty  not  to  confound  me  with  those  who  concluded  the 
capitulation  of  Prenzlau.  I  did  not  capitulate;  I  was  taken 
prisoner,  sword  in  hand,  but  I  did  not  surrender  it  volun- 
tarily." 

"  Young  man,"  said  Napoleon,  in  grave,  cold  calmness, 
"  beware  of  being  plunged  into  deeper  distress  by  your  haughty 
spirit.  The  Prussian  princes  are  not  now  in  a  position  to 
ntter  high-sounding  words.  Your  king  is  fully  aware  of  this. 
Listen  attentively  to  what  I  tell  you:  he  has  begged  me  for 
peace  in  the  most  submissive  manner;  he  is  imploring  me  to 
grant  him  my  friendship,  and  calls  himself  happy  because  I 
am  dwelling  in  his  palaces." 

"Sire,  that  is  impossible,"  exclaimed  the  prince,  carried 
away  by  his  impulsive  temper. 


130  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Napoleon  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  then  turned  his  head 
a  little  aside  toward  his  minister.  "  M.  Talleyrand,  please  read 
to  us  the  letter,"  he  said;  "  I  merely  glanced  over  it. — Owing 
to  the  portentous  events  of  the  last  days,  you  are,  prince, 
without  direct  news  from  the  king.  You  may,  then,  derive 
from  this  letter  some  information  concerning  his  situation 
and  sentiments.  Bead,  M.  Minister!  And  you,  prince,  take 
a  seat." 

He  pointed  to  one  of  the  chairs  standing  near  the  door. 
Prince  Augustus,  however,  did  not  accept  this  gracious  in- 
vitation. He  bowed,  and  said,  smiling,  "  Your  majesty  will 
permit  me  to  stand,  for  my  costume  is  hardly  in  harmony 
with  gilt  chairs,  and  I  believe  it  behooves  a  poor  vagabond 
like  myself  to  stand  humbly  at  the  door.  Moreover,  Prussian 
etiquette  requires  us  to  stand  in  listening  to  the  words  of  our 
sovereign." 

"Read,  Talleyrand,"  said  the  emperor,  and  leaning  back 
carelessly,  he  tried  to  discover  in  the  prince's  face  the  impres- 
sion which  the  king's  letter  would  make  upon  him.  Talley- 
rand read  as  follows : 

"Monsieur  mon  Frere:  When  I  begged  your  imperial 
majesty  to  grant  me  peace,  I  consulted*  my  reason,  but  I  have 
now  consulted  my  heart.  In.  spite  of  the  terrible  sacrifices 
which  you  have  imposed  on  me,  sire,  I  desire  most  anxiously 
that  the  treaty,  which  has  already  been  secured  by  the  ap- 
proval of  the  main  points,  will  entitle  me  soon  to  resume  my 
amicable  relations  with  your  imperial  majesty,  which  the  war 
interrupted  for  a  moment.  It  is  an  agreeable  duty  for  me, 
monsieur  monfrere,  to  manifest,  by  a  proof  of  confidence,  my 
sincere  desire  to  cultivate  your  friendship;  and  I  believe  I  do 
this  by  stopping  the  further  advance  of  the  Eussian  troops, 
without  waiting  for  the  definitive  conclusion  of  peace. 

"  I  was  anxious  that  your  majesty  should  be  received  and 
treated  at  my  palaces  in  a  manner  agreeable  to  you.  I  have 
zealously  taken  such  steps  as  were  necessary  for  that  purpose, 
and,  according  to  my  power,  in  the  situation  in  which  I  am 
now,  I  hope  my  endeavors  have  been  successful.  In  return, 
your  majesty  will  permit  me  to  recommend  my  capital  and 
the  province  of  Brandenburg  to  your  generosity.  This  prov- 
ince, so  little  favored  by  Nature,  is,  as  it  were,  a  creation  of 
my  immortal  ancestor.  I  hope,  sire,  you  will  regard  it  as  a 
monument  he  erected  to  himself;  and  the  numerous  points  in 
which  your  majesty  resembles  that  great  man,  I  trust,  will  be 


TRIUMPH  AND  DEFEAT.  131 

an  additional  inducement  for  you  to  order  his  work  to  be 
treated  in  a  magnanimous  manner. 

"  Besides,  I  should  like  to  request  your  majesty  kindly  to 
exempt  the  district  of  Halberstadt  and  the  duchy  of  Magde- 
burg from  the  cruel  losses  you  are  imposing  on  me.  Such  an 
order  I  should  regard  as  a  precious  guaranty  of  your  personal 
feelings  toward  me,  and  you  may  depend  upon  it,  sire,  I 
should  zealously  strive  to  reciprocate  these  feelings  in  the 
most  cordial  manner.  I  pray  God  to  take  you  in  his  Holy 
keeping,  and  remain,  monsieur  moufrere, 

"  Your  majesty's  obedient  servant, 

"FREDERICK  WILLIAM." 

While  the  letter  was  being  read,  Napoleon  did  not  avert  his 
eyes  for  a  single  moment  from  the  countenance  of  the  prince. 
He  saw  that  he  blushed  with  indignation  at  first,  and  that 
gradually  a  profound  grief  overshadowed  his  noble  features. 

"  Well,  was  I  not  right?"  asked  Napoleon,  when  Talleyrand 
had  concluded.  "  Does  not  your  king  submit  to  all  my  con- 
ditions? Does  he  not  bid  me  welcome  to  his  palaces?" 

"Sire,"  said  the  prince,  mournfully,  "it  does  not  behoove 
me  to  censure  the  words  of  my  king.  When  he  has  spoken, 
I  must  be  silent.  I  only  dare  to  observe  that  your  majesty 
may  see  from  this  letter  that  the  queen  does  not  meddle  with 
government  affairs.  Had  she  done  so,  your  majesty,  no 
doubt,  would  not  have  received  this  letter  of  Count  Haug- 
witz." 

"Of  Count  Haugwitz?"  asked  Napoleon.  "Of  the  king, 
you  mean?" 

"  Sire,  the  king  lent  to  this  letter  only  his  name  and  hand- 
writing; Count  Haugwitz  furnished  the  words  and  the  spirit 
it  breathes." 

"  Then  you  believe  that  the  queen  does  not  share  the  views 
of  her  husband?"  asked  the  emperor,  hastily.  "  You  believe 
she  would  still  insist  on  the  further  continuation  of  the  war  if 
her  opinion  were  consulted?" 

"  Sire,  I  only  take  the  liberty  to  state  that  she  would  not 
have  written  such  a  letter." 

"  I  know  it  very  well!"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "  Your  queen 
hates  me;  she  would  die  rather  than  beg  my  friendship;  she 
would  bury  herself  under  the  ruins  of  her  throne  rather  than 
put  an  end  to  this  war  and  call  me  her  brother.  But  I  will 
bend  that  haughty  soul — I  will  crush  her  heart,  and  make  her 
repent  of  what  she  is  doing.  I  will — but,"  he  suddenly  inter- 


132  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

rupted  himself,  "what  is  the  matter  with  you!  You  turn 
pale!  You  are  tottering,  prince!" 

The  emperor  arose  and  adyanced  a  few  steps ;  but  the  prince 
motioned  him  back.  "It  is  nothing,"  he  said  faintly,  "only 
a  momentary  weakness — that  is  all.  I  have  not  taken  rest  for 
several  days  and  nights,  and  loss  of  blood  has  exhausted  my 
strength.  Besides — why  should  I  shrink  from  confessing  it— 
I  am  hungry,  sire ;  I  have  eaten  nothing  for  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours." 

"Poor  young  man,"  said  Napoleon,  compassionately,  as  he 
approached  the  prince,  "  I  deplore  your  misfortunes.  Person- 
ally you  have  not  deserved  them,  for  I  know  you  have  fought 
bravely,  and  are  worthy  of  a  better  fate  than  that  of  a  prisoner 
of  war ;  but  will  you  give  me  your  word  of  honor  that  you  will 
not  attempt  to  escape  or  participate  again  in  this  war  against 
me?" 

"  Sire,"  said  the  prince,  pointing  at  his  wounded  right 
arm,  "  sire,  I  believe  I  must  give  you  my  wor"d  of  honor.  I 
am  your  prisoner,  and  shall  not  attempt  to  escape." 

"  Then  go  to  your  parents.  I  permit  you  to  remain  at  the 
house  of  Prince  Ferdinand  until  you  have  recovered  from  your 
wounds.  I  will  not  deprive  your  mother  any  longer  of  the 
pleasure  of  embracing  her  brave  son.  Go,  then,  to  her!" 
The  prince  bowed  and  was  about  to  withdraw. 

"  Well,  prince,  have  you  not  a  word  of  thanks  for  me?" 
asked  Napoleon,  kindly. 

The  prince  smiled  mournfully.  "Sire,"  he  said,  bowing 
deeply,  "sire,  I  thank  you  for  treating  me  so  leniently." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   VICTORIA   OF  THE    BRANDENBURG   GATE. 

WITHOUT  waiting  for  further  permission  to  withdraw,  the 
prince  hastily  opened  the  door  and  went  out.  For  a  moment 
he  sat  down  in  the  anteroom,  for  his  feet  were  trembling  so  as 
to  be  scarcely  able  to  support  him,  and  such  a  pallor  over- 
spread his  cheeks  that  Colonel  Gerard,  who  had  been  waiting, 
hastened  to  him  in  dismay,  and  asked  whether  he  would  per- 
mit him  to  call  a  physician.  Prince  Augustus  smilingly 
shook  his  head.  "  The  physician  of  whom  I  stand  in  need  is 
in  my  mother's  kitchen,"  he  said,  "and  your  emperor  has 


THE  VICTORIA  OF  THE  BRANDENBURG  GATE.         133 

permitted  me  to  seek  him."  Just  then  the  grand  marshal 
entered  the  room,  and,  making  a  sign  to  Gerard,  whispered  a 
few  words  into  his  ear. 

"  Your  royal  highness  is  delivered  from  the  burden  of  my 
company,"  said  the  colonel  to  the  prince  when  Duroc  had 
withdrawn.  "  Permit  me,  however,  to  conduct  you  to  the 
carriage  that  is  to  convey  you  to  the  palace  of  Prince  Ferdi- 
nand." 

In  the  court-yard  below,  an  imperial  carriage  was  waiting, 
and  Colonel  Gerard  himself  hastened  to  open  the  door  to  assist 
the  prince  in  entering.  But  the  latter  waved  his  hand  dep- 
recatingly,  and  stepped  back.  "  I  am  unworthy  of  entering 
the  imperial  carriage,"  he  said.  "See,  even  the  coachman, 
in  his  livery,  looks  elegant  compared  with  me;  and  all  Berlin 
would  laugh,  if  it  should  see  me  ride  in  the  emperor's  mag- 
nificent coach.  Let  me,  therefore,  walk  off  quite  humbly  and 
modestly  and  enter  the  first  conveyance  I  meet.  Farewell, 
colonel,  and  accept  my  thanks  for  the  great  attention  and 
kindness  you  have  manifested  toward  me." 

The  prince  kindly  shook  hands  with  him  and  then  hastily 
walked  across  the  court-yard  of  the  palace  toward  the  place  in 
front  of  it — the  so-called  Lustgarten,  He  crossed  this  place 
and  the  wide  bridge,  built  across  an  arm  of  the  Spree,  with- 
out meeting  with  any  vehicle.  But  the  fresh  air,  and  the 
sense  that  he  was  free,  agreed  with  him  so  well  that  he  felt 
strong  enough  to  proceed  on  foot  to  his  father's  palace. 

"  No  one  recognizes  me  in  this  miserable  costume,"  he  said, 
smiling — "  no  notice  will  be  taken  of  me,  and  I  will  be  able 
to  reach  my  home  without  being  detained."  And  he  walked 
vigorously  across  the  Opera  Place  toward  the  Linden.  This 
neighborhood,  generally  so  lively  and  frequented,  was  strangely 
deserted — no  promenaders — none  of  the  contented  and  happy 
faces,  formerly  to  be  met  with  on  the  Opera  Place  and  under 
the  Linden,  were  to  be  seen  to-day.  Only  a  few  old  women 
were  mournfully  creeping  along  here  and  there ;  and,  when 
the  prince  passed  the  guard-house,  he  saw  Frencli  soldiers 
standing  in  the  front,  who  looked  arrogantly  and  scornfully 
at  the  Prussian  officer,  and  did  not  think  of  saluting  him. 

"Ah,  my  brother,"  muttered  Prince  Augustus  to  himself, 
"  your  prophecy  has  been  quickly  fulfilled !  The  drums  are 
no  longer  beaten  when  we  ride  out  of  the  gate  and  pass  the 
guard-house.  Well,  I  do  not  care.  I  would  gladly  do  with- 
out such  honors,  if  Prussia  herself  only  were  honored — if — " 


134  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

A  noise,  proceeding  from  the  lower  end  of  the  Linden,  in- 
terrupted his  soliloquy.  He  advanced  more  rapidly  to  see 
what  was  going  on.  The  shouts  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
a  dark,  surging  crowd  was  hastening  from  the  entrance  of  the 
Linden  through  the  Brandenburg  Gate.  Soon  the  prince  was 
able  to  discern  more  distinctly  the  character  of  the  multitude 
approaching.  They  were  French  soldiers,  marching  up  the 
street,  and  on  the  sidewalk,  as  well  as  in  the  middle  of  the 
Linden ;  the  people  and  the  citizens  belonging  to  the  national 
guard  accompanying  them — the  latter  in  the  brilliant  uniform 
which  they  had  put  on  with  the  consent  of  the  French  author- 
ities, who,  now  that  there  were  no  Prussian  troops  in  Berlin, 
had  permitted  them  to  mount  guard  together  with  the 
French.  But  the  people  and  the  national  guard  did  not  ac- 
company the  French  soldiers  quietly;  on  the  contrary,  the 
bewildered  prince  distinctly  heard  the  sneers,  the  derisive 
laughter,  and  jeers  of  the  crowd ;  even  the  boys  in  the  tree- 
tops  were  casting  down  their  abusive  epithets.  When  the 
procession  drew  nearer,  and  the  people  surrounded  the  prince, 
he  discovered  the  meaning  of  these  outbursts  of  scorn  and 
derision. 

A  strange  and  mournful  procession  was  moving  along  in 
the  midst  of  the  splendidly  uniformed  French  soldiers.  It 
consisted  of  the  captured  officers  of  the  Prussian  guard,  who 
had  been  obliged  to  walk  from  Prenzlau  to  Berlin,  and  whom 
the  French  grenadiers  had  received  outside  of  the  city  limits 
and  escorted  by  the  walls  to  the  Brandenburg  Gate,  so  that, 
in  accordance  with  the  emperor's  orders,  they  might  make 
their  entry  through  that  way.  Two  months  before,  they  had 
marched  out  of  the  same  gate  in  full  uniform,  proud  and  ar- 
rogant, looking  down  superciliously  on  the  civilians,  whose 
humble  greetings  they  scarcely  condescended  to  return.  Two 
months  before,  General  von  Kuchel  had  been  able  to  exclaim : 
"  A  Prussian  officer  never  goes  on  foot."  The  Prussian  guard 
had  really  believed  that  it  would  be  scarcely  worth  while  to 
draw  their  swords  against  the  French — that  it  would  be  suf- 
ficient merely  to  march  against  them.  But  now  the  disastrous 
days  of  Jena  had  taught  the  officers  how  to  walk — now  they 
did  not  look  down  scornfully  from  their  horses  on  poor  civil- 
ians, and  faith  in  their  own  irresistibility  had  utterly  dis- 
appeared. They  marched  with  bowed  heads,  profoundly 
humiliated,  and  compelled  to  suppress  the  grief  overflowing 
their  hearts.  Their  uniforms  were  hanging  in  rags  on 


THE  VICTORIA  OF  THE  BRANDENBURG  GATE.         135 

emaciated  forms,  and  the  colors  of  the  cloth  and  the  gold-lace 
facings  were  hidden  beneath  the  mud  that  covered  them. 
Their  boots  were  torn,  and  robbed  of  the  silver  spurs;  and,  as 
in  the  case  of  Prince  Augustus  of  Hohenzollern,  many  wore 
wooden  shoes.  But  in  spite  of  this  miserable  and  heart-rend- 
ing spectacle,  the  populace  had  no  pity,  but  accompanied  the 
melancholy  procession  with  derisive  laughter  and  insulting 
shouts! 

"Just  look  at  those  officers,"  exclaimed  a  member  of  the 
national  guard,  approaching  the  soldiers — "  look  at  those 
high-born  counts!  Do  you  remember  how  proud  they  used 
to  be?  How  they  despised  us  at  the  balls,  in  the  saloons,  and 
everywhere  else?  How  we  had  always  to  stand  aside  in  the 
most  submissive  manner,  in  order  not  to  be  run  down  by 
them?  They  will  not  do  so  again  for  some  time  to  come." 

"No,"  cried  the  crowd,  "they  won't  hurt  anybody  now! 
Their  pomp  and  circumstance  have  vanished!" 

"Just  look  at  Baron  von  Klitzing!"  exclaimed  another. 
"  See  how  the  wet  rim  of  his  hat  is  hanging  down  on  his  face, 
as  though  he  were  a  modest  girl  wishing  to  veil  herself. 
Formerly,  he  used  to  look  so  bold  and  saucy ;  seeming  to  be- 
lieve the  whole  world  belonged  to  him,  and  that  he  needed 
only  to  stretch  out  his  hand  in  order  to  capture  ten  French 
soldiers  with  each  finger." 

"  Yes,  yes,  they  were  tremendous  heroes  on  marching  out," 
shouted  another;  "every  one  of  the  noble  counts  and  barons 
had  already  his  laurel  in  his  pocket,  and  was  taking  the  field 
as  though  it  were  a  ballroom,  in  order  to  put  his  wreath  on  his 
head.  Now  they  have  come  back,  and  the  laurels  they  have 
won  are  not  even  good  enough  to  boil  carps  with."  A  roar  of 
laughter  followed  this  hit,  and  all  eyes  turned  again  in  rid- 
icule toward  the  poor  officers,  who  were  marching  along, 
mournfully  and  silently,  with  downcast  yet  noble  bearing. 

Filled  with  anger  and  shame,  Prince  Augustus  pressed 
through  the  crowd.  He  could  not  bear  this  disgraceful  scene; 
he  had  to  avert  his  head  in  order  not  to  see  the  unfortunate 
Prussian  officers;  he  hurried  away,  that  he  might  hear  no 
more  the  cruel  taunts  of  the  populace.  The  ranks  became 
less  dense,  and  this  terrible  procession  passed  by — the  street 
was  once  more  unobstructed.  The  prince  rushed  onward 
regardless  of  the  direction  he  was  taking,  crushed  as  he  was 
by  the  disgrace  and  wretchedness  brought  upon  Prussia.  He 
was  again  suddenly  in  front  of  a  large  gathering.  lie  looked 


136  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

about  him  wonderingly  and  in  dismay.  Without  knowing  it, 
he  had  gone  down  to  the  large  square  in  front  of  the  Branden- 
burg Gate,  where  was  a  dense  crowd. 

But  the  thousands  here  did  not  utter  sneers  or  praises — 
they  were  sad  and  silent;  there  was  no  malicious  sparkle  in 
their  eyes  as  they  rushed  in  one  direction  to  the  Brandenburg 
Gate. 

The  prince  beheld  an  inclined  scaffold  erected  near  the 
lofty  Grecian  pillars  of  the  gate,  and  reaching  up  to  the  cast- 
iron  goddess  of  victory,  standing  in  her  triumphal  car,  and 
holding  the  reins  of  her  horses.  He  saw  the  ropes,  pulleys, 
and  chains,  attached  to  her  form,  and  it  seemed  to  him  as  if 
they  were  around  his  own  breast,  and  choking  his  voice.  He 
had  to  make  an  effort  to  utter  a  word,  and,  turning  to  a  man 
standing  by,  he  asked  in  a  low  voice,  "  What  is  going  on  here? 
What  are  they  doing  up  there?" 

The  man  looked  at  him  long  and  mournfully.  "  The 
French  are  removing  the  'Victoria'  from  the  gate,"  he  said, 
with  suppressed  anger.  "They  believe  the  state  no  longer 
suitable  to  Berlin,  and  the  emperor  is  sending  it  to  Paris, 
whither  he  has  already  forwarded  the  sword  and  clock  of 
Frederick  the  Great." 

The  prince  uttered  a  groan  of  despair.  At  that  moment  a 
loud  French  command  was  heard  by  the  gate,  and  as  if  the 
"  Victoria"  were  conscious,  and  obedient  to  the  orders  of  the 
emperor,  a  tremor  seemed  to  seize  the  goddess.  She  rose  as 
the  horses  began  to  descend,  and  her  figure  bent  forward  as  if 
greeting  Berlin  for  the  last  time.  A  loud  noise  resounded 
above  the  heads  of  the  crowd — the  "  Victoria"  had  glided 
safely  to  the  ground.  The  prince  uttered  a  cry,  and,  as  if 
paralyzed,  closed  his  eyes.  When  he  opened  them  again  the 
beautiful  pillars  of  the  Brandenburg  Gate  had  been  deprived 
of  their  ornament,  and  the  "Victoria,"  with  her  triumphal 
horses,  stood  deposed  from  her  lofty  throne. 

Prince  Augustus  raised  his  tearful  eyes  to  heaven  and  whis- 
pered, "  Oh,  my  brother,  I  envy  you  your  death,  for  it  was 
not  permitted  you  to  behold  the  humiliation  and  sorrow  of 
Prussia!" 


BOOK   II. 
CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE   TREATY   OF   CHARLOTTENBURG. 

QUEEN  LOUISA  was  pacing  her  room  in  great  excitement. 
At  times  she  stood  still  at  the  window,  and  looked  anxiously 
into  the  street  as  if  expecting  the  arrival  of  some  one.  But 
that  street — the  main  one  in  Osterode,  in  which  city  the  royal 
couple  had  spent  the  last  few  days — remained  silent  and  de- 
serted. Large  snow-flakes  were  falling  from  the  cheerless, 
lead -colored  sky,  and  the  November  storm  was  now  sweeping 
them  into  little  mounds,  and  again  dispersing  them  in  clouds 
of  white  dust.  The  queen  beheld  nothing  but  this  winter 
scene;  she  sighed  and  returned  to  her  room  to  pace  it  as 
rapidly  as  before. 

But  she  was  constantly  drawn  to  the  window,  gazing  into 
the  street  and  listening  breathlessly  to  any  noise  that  reached 
her  ears.  "If  he  should  not  come,"  she  muttered  anxiously, 
"  or  if  too  late,  all  would  be  lost,  and  the  cowards  and  bab- 
blers would  be  able  once  more  to  persuade  my  husband  to 
yield  to  their  clamor  for  peace.  Heaven  have  mercy  on  our 
unhappy  country  and  on  ourselves!" 

Suddenly  she  started  up,  and  leaned  closer  to  the  window 
in  order  to  see  better.  Yes,  she  had  not  been  mistaken.  In 
the  lower  part  of  the  street  a  carriage  was  to  be  seen.  The 
Btorm  prevented  her  from  hearing  the  noise  of  the  wheels,  but 
she  saw  it — it  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and  finally  stopped  in 
front  of  the  house.  The  queen  stepped  back,  and,  drawing 
a  deep  breath,  she  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven.  "  I  thank  Thee, 
my  God!  Thou  hast  had  mercy  on  my  anguish,"  she  whis- 
pered with  a  gentle  smile.  She  then  walked  slowly  and 
faintly  across  the  room  toward  the  divan  and  sank  down  on 
it.  "Ah, "she  muttered,  "this  eternal  anxiety,  this  un- 
relieved suspense  and  excitement  are  consuming  my  strength 
— nay,  my  life.  My  feet  are  trembling;  my  heart  stands  en- 


138  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

tirely  still  at  times,  and  then  beats  again  as  violently  as  if  it 
would  burst  from  my  breast.  But,  no  matter!  I  am  quite 
willing  to  die  if  I  only  live  to  see  the  deliverance  of  my  coun- 
try and  the  preservation  of  my  house."  She  dropped  her  head 
on  the  cushions  and  gazed  with  dilated  eyes  at  the  sky.  But, 
on  hearing  a  low  rap  at  the  door,  she  slowly  rose  and  called 
out  in  her  full,  sonorous  voice,  "Come  in!"  The  door 
opened,  and  Madame  von  Berg  entered. 

"Well,  Caroline,  he  has  arrived,  I  suppose?"  asked  the 
queen. 

"No,  your  majesty,"  said  Madame  von  Berg,  smiling,  "  they 
have  arrived.  The  two  ministers,  Baron  von  Stein  and  Count 
von  Hardenberg  request  your  majesty  to  grant  them  an 
audience." 

"Hardenberg!"  exclaimed  Louisa  joyfully,  and  her  pale 
face  brightened.  "  Oh,  let  them  come  in — immediately!" 

The  queen  quickly  left  the  divan  and  walked  toward  the 
door.  But  Madame  von  Berg  hastened  to  reach  it  before  her 
and  opened  it.  "Come  in,  gentlemen,"  she  said;  "her 
majesty  is  waiting  for  yon!" 

"Yes,  I  am  waiting  for  you,"  exclaimed  Louisa,  meeting 
them,  and  with  a  sweet  smile  extending  both  her  hands. 

The  ministers  bowed  and  kissed  her  hand.  Madame  von 
Berg  had  in  the  mean  time  locked  the  door  leading  into  the 
small  anteroom,  and  withdrew  softly  by  the  opposite  door. 

"  Then  you  received  the  message  the  king  sent  you?"  asked 
the  queen,  turning  toward  Baron  von  Stein.  "  And  you  did 
not  hesitate  a  moment  to  come  here?  And  you,  count," 
added  she,  turning  toward  Hardenberg,  "you  did  the  same  as 
this  faithful  friend?  Having  heard  that  the  decisive  moment 
had  come,  you  did  not  hesitate  to  offer  your  services  to  your 
king?  Oh,  I  thank  you,  gentlemen;  I  thank  you  in  the 
name  of  my  husband,  of  my  children,  and  of  our  country! 
In  these  days  of  danger  and  distress,  when  all  are  wavering 
and  fearful,  it  does  my  heart  good  to  meet  with  unswerving 
fealty  and  devotion.  Ah,  so  many  have  proved  faitkless  and 
deserted  us!" 

"  But  so  many  also  have  remained  faithful,  your  majesty," 
said  Hardenberg,  "so  many  have  proved  true  and  loyal!" 

The  queen  gazed  at  him  long  and  mournfully.  "Few," 
she  said,  "alas,  very  few!  You  say  so  only  in  your  magna- 
nimity, because  you  do  not  care  to  make  your  loyalty  appear 
as  something  extraordinary.  But,  look  around  in  Prussia — 


THE  TREATY  OF  CHARLOTTENBURG.  139 

look  at  our  fortresses!  Everywhere  treachery  and  cowardice 
— everywhere  perfidy!  I  will  not  speak  to  you  of  Stettin,  of 
Kiistrin,  of  Spandau,  of  Anclam,  and  Erfurt!  You  know 
already  that  we  have  lost  them.  But  have  you  learned  the 
dreadful  tidings  we  received  yesterday?  Do  you  know  that 
Magdeburg  has  surrendered?" 

"Magdeburg!"  ejaculated  Stein  and  Hardenberg,  at  the 
same  time. 

Louisa  nodded  sadly,  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  It 
was  our  last  bulwark,"  she  said,  "  and  it  is  gone,  too!  I  have 
wept  much  since  yesterday.  Now  I  will  be  calm,  and  force 
my  grief  back  into  my  heart.  But  as  Mary,  Queen  of  Eng- 
land, said  at  the  capture  of  Calais,  'If  my  heart  were  opened, 
you  would  find  on  it  the  name  of  Magdeburg  in  bloody 
letters!'"* 

"It  is  true,"  said  Hardenberg,  gloomily,  "  it  is  a  great  dis- 
aster. A  fortress  so  well  supplied  with  every  thing,  and  a 
garrison  of  more  than  ten  thousand  men!" 

"  If  your  majesty  will  permit  me,  I  ask,  how  did  this  intel- 
ligence impress  the  king?"  said  Baron  von  Stein. 

"  He  bore  it  with  resignation,  and  that  calm  courage  which 
never  leaves  him  in  these  days  of  affliction,"  said  Louisa, 
quickly.  "  But  his  so-called  friends  and  advisers,  Messrs,  von 
Haugwitz,  Kockeritz,  Voss,  and  Kalkreuth,  received  the 
heart-rending  news  with  secret  satisfaction.  I  read  it  in  their 
faces,  notwithstanding  the  sadness  they  assumed.  They  re- 
gard the  fall  of  Magdeburg  as  an  ally  of  their  intentions  and 
schemes.  They  desire  peace  with  France — peace  at  any  price 
— and  hope  that  the  king  will  now  approve  their  views. 
Hence,  Minister  von  Stein,  Madame  von  Berg  had  to  give  a 
letter  to  the  courier  yesterday,  in  which  I  urged  you  to  com- 
ply with  the  king's  orders,  and  to  come  here  immediately. 
Hence,  Count  von  Hardenberg,  I  am  glad  that  you  have  come 
too.  Oh,  I  know  very  well  what  it  must  have  cost  your  noble 
heart  to  come  without  being  expressly  requested ;  but  you  did 
so  for  the  sake  of  the  crushed  and  prostrate  fatherland — I 
know  it  very  well — and  not  for  Prussia,  not  for  us,  but  for 
Germany,  on  whose  neck  the  tyrant  has  placed  his  foot,  and 
which  he  will  strangle  unless  the  good  and  the  brave  unite 
their  whole  strength  and  hurl  him  off." 

"I  came  here,"  said  Hardenberg,  "because  I  remembered 
that  hour  when  your  majesty  permitted  me  to  give  an  oath  of 

*  Louisa's  own  words.— Vide  "Queen  Louisa,"  p.  316. 


140  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

unwavering  fealty  and  devotion — that  hour  when  you  con- 
descended to  accept  my  hand  for  our  league  against  France, 
and  when  you  vowed  to  exert  yourself  to  the  best  of  your 
ability  to  maintain  the  policy  Prussia  had  entered  into,  and 
not  to  suffer  her  king  ever  to  accept  the  perfidious  friendship 
of  France!" 

"I  have  never  forgotten  that  hour,"  said  the  queen, 
gravely.  "  He  who  joined  us  in  taking  that  pledge  at  the 
solemn  moment  you  refer  to,  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand,  has 
sealed  his  vow  with  his  death :  he  is  sleeping  on  the  field  of 
honor.  But  I  feel  convinced  that  he  is  looking  down  on  us 
from  heaven;  and,  if  it  be  given  to  the  spirits  of  the  blessed 
to  influence  the  affairs  of  mortals,  he  will  instil  his  ardor  into 
our  breast,  and  assist  us  in  reaching  the  true  goal.  But  what 
is  that  goal?  and  what  the  true  way?  My  short-sighted  eye 
is  not  able  to  discern  it.  When  I  behold  the  tremendous  suc- 
cesses of  the  conqueror,  I  am  perplexed,  and  ask  myself 
whether  it  be  not  evident  that  God  will  make  him  master  of 
the  world,  and  whether,  consequently,  it  be  not  in  vain  to 
struggle  against  him?  Oh,  my  soul  is  at  times  engaged  in 
terrible  conflict  with  itself,  and  gloomy  doubts  frighten  it. 
But  I  feel  now  that  we  are  on  the  eve  of  the  crisis,  and  that 
the  present  day  will  decide  our  whole  future.  Grand-Marshal 
Duroc  will  reach  this  city  to-day;  Colonel  von  Rauch,  who 
preceded  him,  has  already  arrived.  He  delivered  to  the  king 
the  treaty  of  peace,  which  M.  de  Zastrow  and  Lucchesini  con- 
cluded with  Talleyrand  at  Charlottenburg.  Napoleon  has  al- 
ready signed  it.  Only  the  king's  signature  is  wanting,  and, 
as  soon  as  he  affixes  it,  we  are  the  friends  and  vassals  of  the 
3mperor  of  France,  and  must  either  lay  the  sword  aside,  or,  if 
.jie  should  command  us  to  do  so,  draw  it  against  Russia,  our 
present  ally.  A  stroke  of  the  pen  will  determine  the  future 
of  Prussia  and  the  fate  of  my  children.  Now,  help  me  and 
all  of  us! — now,  advise  me  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done!  Tell 
me  your  honest  opinion  as  freely  and  sincerely  as  though  you 
were  standing  before  God!  Count  von  Hardenberg,  pray, 
speak  first!  Do  you  believe  it  to  be  necessary  for  the  welfare 
of  Prussia,  of  my  children,  and,  above  all,  of  my  husband, 
that  the  king  should  approve  the  treaty?" 

"  Your  majesty  is  aware  that  I  never  advised  the  king  to 
form  an  alliance  with  France,"  said  Hardeuberg,  "and  that 
my  most  sacred  conviction  will  ever  prevent  me  from  doing 
BO.  But,  in  order  to  pass  an  opinion  on  the  treaty  of  Chariot- 


THE  TREATY  OF  CHARLOTTENBUKG. 

tenburg,  I  ought  to  know  its  provisions,  and  your  majesty  is 
aware  that  the  king  has  not  permitted  me  of  late  to  take  part 
in  the  negotiations.  I  do  not  know  what  the  treaty  con- 
tained." 

"Nor  I  either,"  said  Baron  von  Stein,  when  the  queen 
turned  toward  him  with  an  inquiring  glance.  "  But  I  know 
those  who  concluded  it;  I  know  that  M.  de  Lucchesini  and 
M.  de  Zastrow  believe  no  sacrifice,  no  humiliation  too  great, 
if  they  can  thereby  succeed  in  making  peace  with  France.  I 
know  that  Talleyrand  is  wily  enough  to  profit  by  their  weak- 
ness, their  cowardice,  and  lack  of  true  honor;  and  I  know, 
finally,  that  if  Napoleon  signs  a  treaty  of  peace  with  Prussia 
now,  it  cannot  but  be  advantageous  to  him,  and  humiliating 
to  Prussia." 

"I  will  tell  you  what  the  treaty  contains,"  said  a  grave 
voice  behind  them. 

"The  king!"  exclaimed  Louisa,  rising  quickly  and  hasten- 
ing to  him. 

He  greeted  her  cordially,  and  gave  her  his  hand.  "  I 
wished  to  see  you  in  your  cabinet,"  he  said,  smiling,  "and 
thus  overheard  the  last  words  of  the  secret  council  which  is 
held  here." 

Louisa  blushed  slightly;  the  king  noticed  it,  and  shook  his 
head  a  little.  "It  is  quite  agreeable  to  me,"  he  said,  turning 
toward  the  two  ministers,  "  that  the  queen  informs  herself  of  the 
state  of  our  affairs  and  of  politics  generally,  consulting  men 
in  whose  loyalty  and  devotion  she  reposes  confidence.  We 
must  know  our  fate  accurately  and  thoroughly,  in  order  to 
look  it  courageously  in  the  face,  and  decide  on  such  measures 
as  are  most  conducive  to  our  welfare.  Moreover,  the  queen 
has  hitherto  bravely  shared  all  our  dangers  and  hardships;  it 
is,  therefore,  but  just  that  she  should  take  part  in  our  con- 
sultations." 

"Oh,  my  king  and  husband,"  exclaimed  Louisa  pressing 
his  hand  against  her  bosom,  "  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness 
and  generosity.  I  thank  you  for  not  sending  me  back  into 
the  narrow  sphere  of  woman ;  for  permitting  me  to  look  be- 
yond the  threshold  of  my  apartments,  and  to  have  a  heart  for 
the  calamities  of  our  country." 

The  king  nodded  kindly  to  her,  and  then  turned  to  the  two 
ministers,  who  had  respectfully  withdrawn  toward  the  door. 
"I  invited  you  to  come  here,  M.  Minister  von  Stein,"  he 
said,  "  that  you  might  participate  in  a  meeting  of  the  cabinet, 
G — MCHLBACH  VOL.  10 


142  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

at  which  our  course  in  regard  to  the  treaty  of  Charlottenburg 
is  to  be  decided.  I  am  glad  that  you  have  come.  And," 
added  he,  addressing  Hardenberg,  "  I  am  glad  also  that  you 
are  here.  I  like  men  who,  conscious  of  their  worth,  are  not 
irritated  at  being  seemingly  neglected.  I  know  how  to  appre- 
ciate the  fact  that  you  are  standing  by  us  in  these  times  of 
adversity,  and  not  looking  out  only  for  your  own  quiet  and 
comfort.  I  am  fully  aware  that  you  are  not  pursuing  this 
course  from  selfish  motives,  and  that  you  are  rich  enough  to 
live  without  any  public  position — richer,  perhaps,  than  your 
king!  Well,  the  queen  requested  you  to  give  her  your 
opinion  about  the  treaty  of  Charlottenburg,  and  I  came  in 
and  interrupted  you." 

"  Your  majesty  heard  that  these  gentlemen  assured  me  they 
were  ignorant  of  the  contents  of  the  treaty,"  said  the  queen, 
fixing  her  beaming  eyes  on  the  calm,  grave  face  of  her  hus- 
band; "your  majesty,  on  entering  the  room,  were  kind 
enough  to  say  you  would  communicate  the  contents  to  us." 

"I  will  do  so,  to  keep  the  gentlemen  posted,"  said  the 
king — "  not,  however,  as  king,  but  as  a  friend,  whom  you, 
Louisa,  will  authorize  to  take  part  in  the  deliberations  of 
this  secret  council  of  state.  Hence,  let  us  proceed  without 
any  regard  to  etiquette.  I  did  not  want  to  preside  over,  but 
merely  to  attend  your  consultation,  and  to  tell  you  what  you 
are  ignorant  of.  Resume  your  seats,  therefore." 

"And  you,  dear  husband!"  asked  the  queen,  sitting  down 
again  on  the  divan,  "  will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  take  a  seat  by 
my  side?" 

The  king  nodded,  and  sat  down  by  her  side,  while  the 
ministers  took  seats  opposite.  "  Listen,  then,  to  the  terms  of 
peace,"  said  the  king.  "  The  Emperor  Napoleon  demands 
the  whole  territory  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Vistula, 
from  the  point  where  the  river  enters  the  Prussian  states,  to 
its  mouth.  Besides,  he  demands  the  surrender  of  the  for- 
tresses of  Kolberg,  Hameln,  Nienburg,  Glogau,  and  Breslau ; 
the  cession  of  the  whole  of  Silesia,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Oder,  with  the  greater  part  of  the  section  of  this  province 
lying  on  the  left  bank  of  that  river.  He,  moreover,  de- 
mands the  city  and  fortress  of  Graudenz ;  he  requires  all  the 
Prussian  forces  to  withdraw  to  Konigsberg  and  its  environs, 
and  that  the  Russian  troops  shall  evacuate  our  states  immedi- 
ately. After  all  these  conditions  have  been  complied  with  in 
the  most  scrupulous  manner,  either  side  is  to  be  at  liberty  to 


THE  TREATY  OF  CHARLOTTENBURG.  143 

resume  hostilities  ten  days  after  giving  due  notice  there- 
of."* 

The  queen,  no  longer  able  to  suppress  her  agitation,  uttered 
a  cry,  and  turned  toward  her  husband  with  glowing  cheeks 
and  flashing  eyes.  "  And  what  does  he  oiler  us  in  return  for 
all  these  humiliations?"  she  asked.  "  JIow  is  he  going  to  re- 
ward us  for  selling  to  him  our  provinces,  our  fortresses,  and 
our  honor?" 

"In  return,"  said  the  king,  slowly,  laying  stress  on  every 
word — u  in  return,  he  holds  out  to  us  the  prospect  of  march- 
ing soon  as  his  ally  against  Russia,  and  of  supporting  the 
Ottoman  Porte.  A  second  note,  which  Talleyrand  drew  up 
in  the  name  of  his  master,  and  communicated  to  our  envoy, 
was  added.  This  note  stated  that,  inasmuch  as  France, 
owing  to  constantly  renewed  wars,  as  well  as  her  allies,  Spain 
and  Holland,  had  lost  their  most  flourishing  colonies  in  Asia 
and  in  the  West  Indies,  and  were  compelled,  for  the  fourth 
time,  to  fight  in  their  own  defence,  justice  and  reason  au- 
thorized tho  emperor  to  seek  compensations  on  this  side  of 
the  seas  for  the  losses  he  and  his  allies  had  suffered,  and  to 
look  for  these  compensations  in  those  countries  which,  by 
virtue  of  his  victories,  he  had  the  power  to  dispose  of  in  such 
a  manner  as  he  deemed  best.  The  greatest  evil  which  Prussia 
had  brought  about  by  the  last  war,  for  which  she  alone  was 
responsible,  was  the  fact  that  the  Ottoman  Porte  had  been 
deprived  thereby  of  its  independence;  for,  owing  to  the  in- 
sulting and  threatening  demands  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia, 
two  princes,  who  had  been  justly  banished  from  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Sultan,  had  been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Danubiau  principalities,  so  that  Moldavia  and 
Wallachia  were  at  present  nothing  else  than  Russian  prov- 
inces. 'Accordingly,'  concludes  Talleyrand's  note,  'so  long 
as  the  Sultan  should  not  have  recovered  the  legitimate 
sovereignty  over  these  provinces,  the  emperor  would  not  con- 
sent to  give  up  any  countries  which  the  fortune  of  war  had 
placed  in  his  hands,  or  which  he  might  conquer  hereafter.'  "f 

"That  is  to  say,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  passionately,  "  that 
Napoleon  declares  war  against  Russia,  and,  if  we  make  peace 
with  him,  we  must  take  up  arms  against  that  empire." 

"That  will  be  inevitable,"  said  the  king,  composedly. 
"  Besides  this  note,  Talleyrand  communicated  some  important 

•  Vido  "  Prussia  in  the  Years  1806  and  1807  "—a  Diary,  by  H.  v.  Schladen,  p.  57. 
t  "  Mi'-in.  .in-s  d'uu  Homme  d'filat."  vol.  iz.,  p.  341. 


144  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

information  to  our  ambassadors.  He  told  them  that  Na- 
poleon, before  setting  out  from  Berlin,  would  issue  a  decree, 
absolutely  prohibiting  all  commerce  with  England,  and  order- 
ing, further,  that  all  letters  coming  from  or  going  to  that 
country,  addressed  to  an  Englishman,  or  written  in  English, 
were  to  be  stopped  at  the  post-office ;  that  all  goods,  the  pro- 
duce of  English  manufactures,  or  of  English  colonies,  were  to 
be  confiscated,  not  only  on  the  coast,  but  in  the  interior,  in 
the  houses  of  the  merchants  by  whom  they  should  be  retained ; 
that  every  vessel,  having  only  touched  at  the  English  colonies, 
or  at  any  of  the  ports  of  the  three  kingdoms,  should  be  for- 
bidden to  enter  French  ports,  or  ports  under  subjection  to 
France,  and  that  every  Englishman  whatsoever,  seized  in 
France,  or  in  the  countries  under  subjection  to  her  arms, 
should  be  declared  a  prisoner  of  war.*  Now,"  added  he, 
in  a  subdued  tone,  "I  have  finished  my  communication. 
You  know  the  treaty  of  peace,  and  every  thing  be- 
longing to  it.  You  will  be  able  to  form  a  definite  opin- 
ion with  regard  to  it;  you  can,  accordingly,  fulfil  the 
queen's  wish,  and  tell  her  whether  you  would  advise  me  to 
sign  it.  Speak !  and  remember  that  here,  in  this  room,  I  am 
not  the  king,  but  only  the  queen's  friend,  happening  to  be 
present  at  your  consultation,  It,  therefore,  behooves  me  to 
be  silent,  and  to  listen." 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  SECRET  COUNCIL  OF  STATE. 

THE  king  leaned  back,  and,  supporting  his  head  on  his 
arms,  shaded  his  face  with  his  hands,  as  if  it  were  a  screen 
that  was  to  conceal  the  expression  of  his  features.  The  queen 
turned  with  a  sweet  smile  toward  the  two  gentlemen.  "  My 
husband  having  permitted  it,"  she  said,  "pray,  speak.  Let 
me  hear  your  views.  And  as  I  deem  the  opinions  of  both  of 
you  equally  important,  I  do  not  know  whom  to  request  to 
commence.  Let  the  oldest  speak  first." 

"Then,  your  majesty,  I  must  speak,"  said  Hardenberg, 
bowing  low,  "  I  know  that  I  am  seven  years  older  than  Baron 
von  Stein.  He  surpasses  me  in  wisdom  as  I  do  him  in  years." 

*Tbiers,  "  Consulat  et  Empire,"  vol.  vii.,  p.  380. 


THE  SECRET  COUNCIL  OF  STATE.  145 

"Well,  Bpeak,"  said  Louisa.  "What  do  you  think  of  this 
treaty?" 

"  I  think  it  is  a  new  proof  of  the  reckless  pride  of  Bona- 
parte," said  llardenberg.  "  In  order  to  appreciate  it  correctly 
it  is  necessary  for  us  to  look  back  into  the  past,  and  to  remem- 
ber how  this  war  arose,  which  the  emperor  asserts  to  have  been 
provoked  by  Prussia.  But  the  king,  our  most  gracious  mus- 
ter, never  desired  war;  on  the  contrary,  he  withstood,  for  a 
long  while,  the  wishes  of  his  ministers,  his  court,  his  people, 
and  his  army.  He  would  have  avoided  the  war,  if  Napoleon 
had  allowed  him  to  form  a  Confederation  of  the  North,  con- 
servative in  its  tendencies,  but  not  hostile  to  the  Confederation 
of  the  Rhine.  Deceived,  menaced,  insulted,  the  king  con- 
tinued negotiating  to  the  last  moment,  and  did  not  cease 
hoping  that  France  would  acknowledge  that  she  was  wrong, 
and  yield  to  the  remonstrances  and  wishes  of  Prussia.  The 
king  was  arming,  it  is  true,  but  only  for  the  purpose  of  sup- 
porting his  just  arid  strictly  pacific  demands  by  such  a  military 
demonstration.  Compelled  by  Napoleon,  he  had  to  obey  the 
dictates  of  honor  at  last  and  draw  his  sword.  The  fortunes 
of  war  decided  against  him ;  he  was  defeated.  He  commenced 
negotiating  again;  for  the  sake  of  the  welfare  of  his  people 
he  submitted  to  the  most  rigorous  terms  which  the  conqueror 
imposed  on  him;  but  Napoleon,  instead  of  appreciating  this, 
became  only  the  more  arrogant  and  insatiable  in  his  demands. 
The  king's  willingness  to  accept  those  terms  was  of  no  avail ; 
the  conditions  which  had  been  imposed  on  him  were  repudi- 
ated and  nullified.  Every  new  triumph,  every  new  capit- 
ulation of  A  fortress,  caused  the  emperor  to  render  his 
demands  more  rigorous;  and  he  dares  now  to  offer  a  treaty, 
which  would  reduce  the  kingdom  of  Prussia  to  a  single  prov- 
ince— which  could  not  but  render  the  king's  position  even 
more  precarious,  and  would  be  the  depth  of  humiliation, 
without  offering  the  least  prospect  of  a  speedy  and  lasting  re- 
covery from  our  past  disasters.  If  Prussia  should  accept  this 
utterly  illusory  compact,  she  would  thereby  deliver  herself 
completely  into  the  hands  of  an  insatiable  enemy,  whose  am- 
bitious schemes  are  well  known,  and  deprive  herself  of  the 
only  support  still  remaining.  She  would  betray  Russia  and 
not  save  herself  by  this  treachery,  but  only  accelerate  her  own 
utter  ruin.  No  one  can  dare  to  advise  the  king  to  sign  such 
a  paper,  and,  least  of  all,  myself,  after  constantly  opposing 
an  alliance  with  France,  even  at  a  time  when  it  would  seem- 


146  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ingly  have  been  advantageous  to  ~  Prussia.  Your  majesty 
ordered  me  to  express  my  opinion,  and  I  have  done  so  to  the 
best  of  my  conviction." 

The  queen  thanked  him  by  a  slight  bow,  and  then  turned 
toward  Baron  von  Stein.  "And  you?"  she  asked,  "will  you 
communicate  to  me  your  views  about  this  treaty  which  our 
envoys  have  already  signed  at  Charlottenburg?" 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Baron  von  Stein,  quickly,  "I  lack 
the  wise  composure  and  smiling  calmness  of  Count  von 
Hardenberg.  It  was  not  given  me  to  weigh  the  interests  and 
the  conduct  of  friends  and  foes  with  prudent  tranquillity  and 
magnanimous  impartiality.  I  am  no  polished  courtier,  but 
only  a  blunt,  upright  German,  and  as  such  your  majesty  must 
allow  me  to  speak  to  you.  Well,  my  honest  German  heart 
revolts  at  what  M.  Napoleon  is  pleased  to  call  a  treaty  of 
peace,  and  what,  it  seems  to  me,  would  be  but  a  pact  with 
degradation,  dishonor,  and  disgrace.  If  I  had  been  in  the 
place  of  Messrs,  de  Zastrow  and  Lucchesini,  I  would  have 
allowed  my  right  hand  to  be  cut  off  rather  than  to  be  prevailed 
upon  to  sign  any  thing  so  ignominious;  I  would  have  died 
rather  than  surrender  at  discretion  in  so  humiliating  a  man- 
ner. I  know  full  well  that  these  gentlemen  have  done  so 
only  in  order  to  save  the  political  existence  of  the  king  and 
his  state.  But  how  little  do  they  know  the  intentions  and 
schemes  of  our  powerful  adversary,  whom  only  the  most  de- 
termined and  obstinate  resistance  can  induce  to  be  moderate 
in  his  exactions,  and  who,  so  soon  as  he  has  nothing  to  fear, 
shrinks  from  nothing!  As  soon  as  the  king,  according  to 
these  stipulations,  has  surrendered  to  him  his  fortresses  and 
Silesian  possessions,  Napoleon  will  give  notice  that  he  resumes 
hostilities  within  ten  days,  and  the  king  having  not  sufficient 
power  to  offer  him  any  resistance,  the  loss  of  his  last  and  only 
possessions  would  be  the  natural  consequence.  Napoleon 
would  even  manage  matters  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  it  to 
other  hands  to  carry  out  this  last  spoliation.  It  is  well  known 
what  prospects  he  held  out  in  Berlin  to  the  deputation  of  the 
Poles,  and  by  what  words  and  promises  he  instigated  them 
to  rise.  He  now  demands  the  removal  of  our  troops  from 
Graudenz  and  its  environs,  that  is  to  say  from  Prussian 
Poland.  He  wishes  to  promote  the  insurrection  in  Poland, 
and  to  assist  the  Poles  as  efficiently  as  possible,  so  that  we 
should  lose  these  provinces  during  the  cessation  of  hostilities. 
His  majesty,  moreover,  is  unable  to  enter  into  an  engagement 


THE  SECRET  COUNCIL  OF  STATE.  147 

concerning  the  withdrawal  of  the  Russian  troops,  and  the  hist 
fortresses,  therefore,  would  be  sacrificed  in  vain.  But  it  is 
just  as  little  in  the  power  of  the  king  to  induce  the  Emperor 
of  Russia  to  waive  his  just  claims  against  the  Porte,  or  to  de- 
prive the  Hospodars  of  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  of  the  pro- 
tection pledged  to  them.  The  Russian  emperor  has  already 
marched  his  troops  into  Moldavia.  The  struggle  with  the 
Porte  has  begun,  and  his  honor  will  not  permit  him  to  recede 
from  the  stand  he  has  taken.  Up  to  this  hour  he  has  re- 
mained unwaveringly  faithful,  in  words  as  well  as  in  actions, 
to  his  Prussian  ally.  A  large  Russian  army  is  already  ap- 
proaching our  frontier,  and  it  is  said  the  Czar  himself  is 
accompanying  it  in  order  to  join  the  Prussian  forces  and  then 
attack  Napoleon.  By  signing  the  treaty  of  Charlottenburg, 
however,  the  King  of  Prussia  would  not  only  have  to  reject 
the  assistance  offered  him,  but  be  compelled  to  turn  his  sword 
against  him  who,  in  his  generous  friendship,  is  coming  to 
help  him  fight  for  the  preservation  of  his  states. 

"  This  so-called  treaty  of  peace  would  raise  up  two  new 
enemies  against  Prussia,  and  without  changing  her  old  foe, 
France,  into  a  firm  and  reliable  friend.  The  first  of  these  is 
Russia,  which  Prussia  would  have  deserted  in  the  most  per- 
fidious manner;  the  second  is  Great  Britain,  which  would 
wage  war  against  the  ally  of  France  as  well  as  against  France 
herself.  Napoleon,  by  that  decree  against  English  goods, 
property,  and  subjects,  throws  down  a  new  gauntlet  to  Great 
Britain,  for  it  is  the  beginning  of  a  blockade  of  the  entire 
continent;  and  William  Pitt,  the  great  and  heroic  minister 
of  King  George,  will  assuredly  accept  the  challenge.  It  will 
kindle  anew  the  whole  fire  of  his  hatred  and  vengeance,  and 
he  will  urge  the  full  power  of  England  against  France.  Now, 
Talleyrand  has  declared  loudly  that  Napoleon  would  allow 
Prussia  to  maintain  her  existence  as  an  independent  state, 
only  if  England  and  Russia  should  make  peace  with  him  on 
acceptable  terms.  Neither,  however,  will  do  this,  and  Prus- 
sia, consequently,  would  be  irretrievably  lost  by  accepting 
these  conditions;  for  she  would  then  have  three  enemies  and 
not  a  single  ally.  Not  only  honor,  but  also  prudence  com- 
mands us  to  reject  the  treaty.  Not  to  obey  the  dictates  of 
those  two  powers  would  be  to  hurl  Prussia  into  an  abyss  of 
wretchedness,  where  she  would  not  hear  the  sympathetic 
lamentations  of  a  single  ally,  but  the  scornful  laughter  of  the 
world.  I  hope  that  the  king  may  preserve  Prussia  from  such 


148  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

consequences,  and  graciously  permit  us  to  maintain,  amid  our 
disasters  and  sorrows,  a  clear  conscience  and  erect  head,  as  it 
behooves  men  more  willing  to  die  than  give  up  honor  and 
liberty! 

"  Your  majesty  must  pardon  me  if  I  have  spoken  too  freely 
and  unreservedly.  But  you  commanded  me  to  express  my 
honest  opinion.  I  have  done  so,  and  pray  you  to  forgive  me 
if  my  words  have  not  been  sufficiently  delicate  and  well 
chosen." 

"I  have  nothing  to  pardon,  only  to  thank  you,"  said  the 
queen,  "  as  well  as  Count  von  Hardenberg.  Both  of  you  have 
permitted  me  to  look  into  the  innermost  recesses  of  your 
hearts.  You  have  spoken  according  to  your  honest  con- 
viction: I  thank  you!"  And  turning  her  radiant  eyes 
toward  the  king,  Louisa  added  in  a  tone  of  profound  emotion, 
"  Your  majesty,  we  have  lost  Magdeburg !  But  are  not  such 
men  as  these  worth  more  than  a  fortress?  Fortresses  may  fall, 
but  so  long  as  we  shall  have  such  men  by  our  side,  Prussia 
will  not  be  lost!" 

The  king,  who  had  been  sitting  all  the  while  in  the  same 
attitude,  his  head  supported  on  his  arm,  and  his  face  hidden 
behind  his  hand,  slowly  dropped  it  and  looked  long  and  in- 
quiringly at  the  queen.  "  It  is  your  turn  now  to  express  your 
opinion,"  he  said,  calmly.  "I  believe  you  owe  it  to  your 
advisers  to  tell  them  what  you  think  of  it.  You  thank  those 
who  speak  to  you  honestly  and  truthfully,  by  answering  them 
in  the  same  manner.  I,  therefore,  request  the  queen  now  to 
speak  in  her  turn,  and  to  tell  us  what  she  thinks  of  this 
treaty." 

"  I  think,  my  king  and  husband,  that  I  would  rather  be 
killed  by  the  first  cannon-ball  discharged  against  France  than 
sanction  this  ignominious  treaty,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  with 
glowing  cheeks,  and  with  passionate  impetuosity.  "  I  think 
that,  in  case  you  sign  it,  I  should  never  dare  to  set  foot  again 
in  the  palace  of  Charlottenburg,  because  it  would  seem  to  me 
as  though  I  were  not  allowed  to  raise  my  eyes  either  to  man 
or  to  God,  for  the  human  heart  turns  away  from  the  perfidious 
and  dishonored,  and  God  Himself  has  no  mercy  on  them.  I 
should  think  the  walls  of  this  house  would  fall  upon  us  to 
hide  our  shame — I  should  shrink  shudderingly  from  every 
table,  because  that  treaty  might  have  been  signed  on  it  which 
is  to  render  us  recreant  to  duty,  and  to  steal  our  unsullied 
honor.  No !  let  us  be  humiliated,  and  succumb  with  a  clear 


THE  SECRET  COUNCIL  OF  STATE.  149 

conscience,  rather  than  accept  the  friendship  and  alliance  of 
the  Corsican,  at  the  expense  of  principle!" 

"Ah!"  muttered  the  king,  bowing  his  head,  "if  words 
could  be  transformed  into  swords,  you  would  win  battles  for 
me  to-day.  Unfortunately,  however,  soldiers  are  necessary 
for  that  purpose,  and  I  have  no  army.  Your  words  may  be 
the  dragons'  teeth  from  which  armed  warriors  may  spring, 
but  they  might  turn  against  ourselves  and  annihilate  us!" 
He  paused  and  looked  down  musingly.  The  queen  dared  not 
disturb  his  reflections,  and  gazed  at  him  in  silence  and  with 
an  air  of  tender  sympathy.  The  two  ministers  looked  no  less 
grave,  and  waited  until  he  would  interrupt  the  silence  and 
address  them. 

The  king  raised  his  head  and  looked  at  the  clock.  "  Four 
o'clock,"  he  said,  rising  more  hastily  than  usual.  "I  have 
ordered  the  ministers  and  generals  to  assemble  at  the  rooms  of 
Minister  von  Haugwitz,  and  told  them  that  I  should  be  pres- 
ent. I  like  to  be  punctual.  Let  us  go  then,  gentlemen ;  it  is 
time  for  us  to  be  at  the  conference." 

The  two  ministers  rose  to  take  leave  of  the  queen.  Louisa 
gave  each  of  them  her  hand,  which  they  kissed,  and  she  dis- 
missed them  with  a  grateful  glance.  The  king  kindly  waved 
his  hand,  and,  after  they  had  left  the  room,  turned  to  the 
queen.  "Farewell,  dear  Louisa,"  he  said,  offering  his  hand 
to  her;  "official  duties  are  calling  me,  and  so  long  as  I  am 
king  I  must  not  neglect  them.  I  came  to  you  in  order  to 
dispel  my  cares  a  little  by  chatting  with  you,  and  instead  of 
doing  so  I  had  to  be  present  at  a  meeting  of  a  secret  council 
of  state.  The  unfortunate  have  no  time  for  recreation,  and 
that  may  be  useful  and  salutary,  after  all.  Farewell,  then;  I 
must  go  to  Haugwitz's  rooms." 

He  was  about  to  leave,  but  the  queen  grasped  his  hand,  and 
gazed  with  an  imploring  glance  searchingly  at  his  calm  and 
impenetrable  countenance.  "  Oh,  my  husband, "she  said,  in 
a  voice  tremulous  with  emotion;  "you  are  going  to  leave  me 
thus?  You  do  not  utter  a  word  of  consolation  and  assurance?" 

The  king  kissed  her  on  the  forehead,  and  pointed  to  the 
clock.  "  It  is  high  time  for  me  to  go  to  the  conference,"  he 
said,  and  gently  disengaging  his  hand  hastened  away. 

Louisa  gazed  after  him  until  he  had  disappeared;  she  then 
raised  her  hands  and  eyes  to  heaven.  "  0  my  God,"  she  whis- 
pered, "direct  his  resolutions,  and  cause  him  to  choose  what 
is  right!  Oh,  give  me  strength  to  bear  my  misfortunes 


150  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

patiently,  and  not  to  despair  and  murmur,  even  though  the 
king  should  decide  on  another  course  than  the  one  my  heart 
longs  for,  and  my  reason  believes  to  be  right."  On  casting 
down  her  eyes,  she  happened  to  see  the  open  piano,  and 
hastening  to  it  her  white  hands  commenced  playing  a  soul- 
moving  melody.  She  then  sang,  with  tearful  eyes  and  fer- 
vent voice :  "  W er  nur  den  lieben  Gott  Idsst  walten,  und  hoffet 
auf  ihn  alle  Z&it — " 

Scarcely  an  hour  had  elapsed — the  queen  was  still  singing 
at  the  piano  when  the  door  behind  her  softly  opened,  and  the 
king  again  entered.  The  carpet  and  the  full  notes  of  the 
piano  prevented  her  hearing  his  footsteps.  The  king  walked 
rapidly  to  his  wife,  and  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder.  She 
started,  and  looked  up  to  her  husband  with  an  inquiring, 
anxious  glance,  and  rose  slowly  from  her  chair. 

"Louisa,"  said  the  king,  solemnly,  "I  have  just  returned 
from  the  conference  of  the  ministers  at  Haugwitz's  rooms. 
Besides  Prince  Henry  and  myself,  ten  ministers,  generals,  and 
cabinet  councillors  were  present.  Seven  advocated  the  rat- 
ification of  the  treaty  of  Charlottenburg ;  four  were  opposed 
to  it.  The  majority,  therefore,  were  in  favor  of  it." 

The  queen  turned  pale,  and  the  painful  quivering  of  her 
lips  betrayed  her  inward  emotion.  "  There  were  eleven  pres- 
ent besides  you,"  said  she,  breathlessly.  "Seven  voted  for 
ratifying  the  treaty;  four  were  opposed  to  it!  But  what  did 
the  king  say,  who  had  to  decide  every  thing'?  Did  my  be- 
loved husband  side  with  the  majority?" 

"The  king,"  said  Frederick  William,  slowly,  "decided  in 
favor  of  the  minority." 

Louisa  uttered  a  cry,  and,  seizing  his  hand,  bent  over  and 
imprinted  a  warm  kiss  on  it.  "  Oh,  my  dear  husband,  you 
did  not  accept  the  ignominious  Charlottenburg  bargain?" 
she  asked,  joyfully.  "You  did  not  yield  to  the  majority? 
My  God!  I  thank  Thee,  for  Thou  hast  fulfilled  the  most 
fervent  wishes  of  my  soul!  Oh,  my  dear  husband,  if  there 
were  in  my  heart  still  a  spot  which  love  for  you  had  not  con- 
secrated, it  would  be  now!  My  whole  heart  is  filled  with 
pride,  delight,  and  esteem  for  you.  We  shall  not  make  peace, 
then,  with  the  tyrant,  or  accept  the  hypocritical  friendship  of 
our  mortal  foe — we  shall  remain  faithful  to  ourselves,  to  our 
honor,  and  to  our  ally." 

"Yes,  we  shall  reject  that  treaty,"  said  the  king.  "We 
shall  try  to  carry  on  the  war.  But  let  us  not  yield  to  illu- 


THE  SECRET  COUNCIL  OF  STATE.  151 

sions;  let  us  not  endeavor  to  deceive  ourselves  by  indulging  in 
sanguine  hopes!  In  again  drawing  the  sword,  we  have  to 
struggle  for  our  existence,  and  we  may  possibly  fail." 

"  Better  to  be  buried  under  the  ruins  of  the  throne  than  to 
sit  on  it  with  the  stigma  of  perfidy  and  dishonor!"  exclaimed 
the  queen.  "  Even  the  crown  would  not  cover  such  a  stain!" 

"  We  may  lose  our  state  and  our  crown,  and  be  compelled 
to  flee  as  nameless  beggars  across  the  Russian  frontier.  Are 
you  prepared  for  it?" 

Louisa  passionately  encircled  her  husband's  neck  with  her 
*arms,  and  looked  him  in  the  face  with  an  air  of  unutterable 
tenderness.  "  I  am  prepared  for  every  thing,  provided  I  may 
stay  with  you,"  she  said,  affectionately.  "Let  the  worst  be- 
fall us,  it  will  find  me  calm  and  courageous,  for  I  shall  share 
it  with  you.  Where  you  go  I  go.  And  though  we  should 
have  to  flee  from  our  invincible  enemy  into  the  remotest  wilds 
of  Russia,  my  heart  would  be  glad,  for  honor  would  accom- 
pany us,  and  love  would  be  our  comfort!" 

The  king  laid  his  hand  on  her  head,  as  if  blessing  her,  and 
clasped  her  in  his  arms.  "  You  are  a  noble  and  heroic 
woman,"  he  said,  "and  I  thank  God  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart  for  having  given  me  such  a  wife.  Pray  for  me,  Louisa; 
pray  for  all  of  us!  I  will  now  go  to  receive  the  envoy  of  Na- 
poleon, M.  Duroc,  and  tell  him  that  I  must  reject  the  treaty 
of  Charlottenburg."  He  pressed  a  kiss  on  the  queen's  brow, 
and  then  crossed  the  room  arm-in-arm  with  her.  When 
about  to  go,  he  stood  still  and  tenderly  looked  at  her.  "  Ah, 
Louisa,"  he  said,  "I  forgot  to  tell  you  something.'  After  in- 
forming the  conference  that  I  should  not  ratify  the  treaty,  but 
continue  the  war,  I  commissioned  Haugwitz  to  draw  up  a 
manifesto  by  which  I  would  announce  to  my  people  the  step  I 
had  resolved  upon.  Count  von  Haugwitz,  however,  said  he 
was  unable  to  draw  up  such  a  manifesto,  and  offered  his  resig- 
nation, owing  to  his  enfeebled  health,  and  the  disease  of  the 
eyes  from  which  he  is  suffering." 

The  queen  smiled,  and  an  emotion  of  joy  illuminated  her 
countenance.  "  You  have  accepted  his  resignation?"  she 
asked,  breathlessly. 

"  I  have  accepted  it.  He  will  set  out  to-day  for  his  estates. 
I  must  at  once  appoint  his  successor;  for,  in  times  such  as 
these,  I  cannot  do  without  a  minister  of  foreign  affairs.  Can 
you  recommend  any  one  to  me  whom  you  would  deem  especially 
qualified  for  the  position,  and  in  whom  you  have  confidence?" 


152  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  queen  looked  in  surprise  at  her  husband,  and  cast  down 
her  eyes,  as  if  she  feared  he  would  read  in  them  thoughts 
conflicting  with  her  words.  "  It  does  not  behoove  me  to  ad- 
vise my  sagacious  and  prudent  husband,"  she  said.  "His 
wisdom  will  always  be  able  to  find  the  right  man  for  the  right 
place,  and  to  appoint  a  minister  competent  to  promote  the 
interests  of  Prussia  and  her  noble  king." 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  of  any  one  whom  you  would  rec- 
ommend to  me?"  asked  he. 

Louisa  looked  down,  and  silently  shook  her  head. 

The  king  smiled.     "Well,"  he  said,  "in  that  case  I  myself* 
must  make  the  selection,  and  I  have  already  done  so.     Baron 
von  Stein  is  the  man  whom  I  will  appoint  minister  of  foreign 
affairs."     He  did  not  give  his  wife  time  to  reply,  but  left  the 
room  quickly,  and  closed  the  door. 

The  queen  gazed  after  him,  her  eyes  radiant  with  joy. 
"Oh,"  she  said,  "what  a  great  and  noble  heart!  He  who 
conquers  himself  is  a  hero  indeed.  The  king  has  overcome 
his  own  reluctance,  and,  contrary  to  his  inclination,  selected 
the  man  whom  his  head  appreciates,  but  whom  his  heart  does 
not  love." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BARON   VON   STEIN. 

ON  the  same  day,  after  the  king  had  given  an  audience  to 
Grand-Marshal  Duroc,  and  informed  him  that  he  rejected  the 
treaty  of  Charlottenburg,  he  instructed  Kockeritz  and  Beyme 
to  offer  the  department  of  foreign  affairs  to  Baron  von  Stein. 
But  the  baron  had  declined,  declaring  he  was  unable  to  fill  so 
difficult  a  position — that  he  lacked  the  necessary  knowledge 
of  affairs  and  forms  and  the  requisite  skill  in  applying  them 
so  as  to  discharge  the  duties  of  so  high  an  office  in  an  efficient 
manner.  The  king,  however,  did  not  accept  this  refusal. 
He  caused  new  offers  to  be  made  to  him — requesting  him  to 
take  charge  of  the  department  at  least  temporarily,  and 
promising  him  a  large  salary,  besides  eight  thousand  dollars 
annually  for  household  expenses.  But  Baron  von  Stein  did 
not  allow  himself  to  be  tempted  by  the  brilliancy  of  the 
position,  or  the  large  compensation.  He  adhered  to  his  de- 
termination, and  declined  a  second  time,  proposing  to  the 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  153 

king  to  appoint  in  his  place,  as  minister  of  foreign  all'airs, 
Count  von  Hardenberg,  that  experienced  and  skilful  states- 
man. 

The  king  shook  his  head  indignantly,  and  bit  his  lips,  as 
he  was  accustomed  to  do  whenever  he  was  angry.  "  Tell 
Baron  von  Stein  to  come  to  me,"  he  said  to  General  von 
Kockeritz.  "I  will  speak  to  him  myself." 

General  von  Kockeritz  hastened  away,  and  an  hoar  after- 
ward Baron  von  Stein  entered  the  king's  cabinet.  Frederick 
William  was  slowly  pacing  his  room,  with  his  hands  joined 
behind  him.  He  apparently  did  not  notice  the  baron's  ar- 
rival, and  passed  him  repeatedly  Avithout  greeting  or  even 
looking  at  him.  The  minister,  who  at  first  had  stood  respect- 
fully near  the  door,  waiting  to  be  accosted  by  the  king,  tired 
of  this  long  silence,  turned  to  the  paintings  hanging  on  the 
wall,  and,  while  contemplating  them,  passing  from  one  to  an- 
other, happened  to  push  against  a  chair,  which  made  a  loud 
noise. 

The  king  was  aroused  from  his  meditation.  He  stood  still 
before  Baron  von  Stein,  and  looked  with  a  stern  air  into  his 
manly  face.  "  I  offered  you  twice  the  department  of  foreign 
affairs,"  he  said,  in  his  dry,  abrupt  manner.  "  Why  did  you 
not  accept  it?" 

"Your  majesty,  because  I  did  not  feel  capable  of  filling  it," 
replied  Stein,  calmly,  "  and  because  there  are  worthier  men 
who  are  better  qualified  for  it." 

The  king  shook  his  head.  "Subterfuges!"  he  said. 
41  Firm  and  bold  men,  such  as  you,  do  not  undervalue  their 
own  importance,  but  appreciate  it  correctly.  In  days  so  grave 
as  these,  it  is  necessary  for  every  one  to  be  sincere.  I  want  to 
be  informed  why  you  reject  my  offer.  I  have  a  right  to  in- 
sist on  knowing  your  reasons.  I  am  king  still,  and  I  believe 
my  functionaries  owe  me  an  explanation  when  refusing  to 
undertake  a  task  which  I  ask  them  to  perform.  Speak,  and 
tell  me  your  reasons.  I  command  you  to  do  so." 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  with  cold,  proud  equanimity, 
"suppose,  in  order  to  comply  with  your  command,  I  should 
allege  some  pretext  or  other  in  lieu  of  my  real  reasons,  and, 
like  Count  von  Ilaugwitz,  base  my  refusal  on  my  pretended 
ill-health?  How  would  your  majesty  be  able  to  know  whether 
I  was  sincere  or  not?  Even  kings  are  not  capable  of  looking 
into  the  hearts  of  men,  and  no  orders  can  reveal  secrets  if  we 
desire  to  conceal  them.  But  I  do  not  wish  to  hide  my 


NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

thoughts  from  your  majesty.  In  compliance  with  your  re- 
quest, I  will  lay  my  reasons  freely  and  sincerely  before  you. 
But,  before  doing  so,  I  must  ask  your  majesty  to  grant  me 
two  things." 

"Well,  what  are  they?"  inquried  the  king,  quickly. 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  beg  leave  to  be  seated,  for  I  have  been 
ill,  and  am  still  weak." 

The  king  sat  down  on  the  divan  and  pointed  to  an  easy- 
chair  standing  near.  "  Take  a  seat,  and  tell  me  your  second 
request. " 

"  I  must  beg  your  majesty  graciously  to  pardon  my  frank- 
ness, in  case  my  words  should  not  meet  with  your  approval  or 
should  appear  too  bold  and  rash." 

"  I  wish  to  know  the  truth,  and  must,  therefore,  have  the 
courage  to  hear  it,"  said  the  king.  "Why  did  you  decline?" 

"  Your  majesty,  my  first  reason,  though  you  refused  to  be- 
lieve it,  is  and  remains,  that  I  regard  Count  von  Hardenberg 
as  much  better  qualified  than  myself  to  take  charge  of  the 
department  of  foreign  affairs,  because  he  enjoys  the  confidence 
of  those  courts  with  which  your  majesty  intends  keeping  up 
friendly  relations.  Count  von  Hardenberg,  moreover,  has  the 
confidence  of  your  people,  who,  wherever  they  are  permitted 
to  do  so,  are  loudly  expressing  themselves  in  his  favor,  and 
would  consider  this  salutary  appointment  a  consolation  and 
hope  for  the  future.  It  seems  unbecoming  in  me  to  accept 
an  office  that  should  be  intrusted  to  a  minister  distinguished 
for  his  faithful  services  in  this  department,  and,  under  the 
present  circumstances  perhaps,  highly  influential  already  by 
his  very  name. " 

"Go  on,  go  on,"  said  the  king,  impatiently.  "Say  no 
more  about  Hardenberg.  Tell  me  your  other  reasons." 

"  Sire,  my  second  reason  is  that,  even  though  I  accept  the 
position,  I  should  be  unable  to  accomplish  in  it  what  I  should 
deem  necessary  for  the  welfare  of  the  state.  Your  majesty, 
so  long  as  there  is  no  free  and  direct  intercourse  between  you 
and  your  ministers — so  long  as  there  is  a  cabinet  government 
in  existence,  separating  the  king  from  his  ministers,  and  ex- 
ercising an  injurious  influence  on  the  relations  of  the  latter 
toward  the  subordinate  officers  in  their  departments,  your 
ministers  cannot  hope  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  state,  and 
to  introduce  and  carry  out  such  measures  as  they  deem  indis- 
pensable for  the  best  interests  of  the  people.  Your  majesty's 
ministers  have  long  since  recognized  and  felt  the  disastrous 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  155 

influence  of  this  government  which  is  watching  with  the  ut- 
most jealousy  at  the  door  of  your  cabinet,  and  keeping  every 
minister  from  it  and  from  direct  intercourse  with  you.  They 
were  silent  so  long  as  Prussia  appeared  to  be  in  prosperous 
circumstances,  and  the  inward  germs  of  her  degeneracy  and 
decay  could  be  concealed  by  a  semblance  of  justice.  But  now 
every  illusion  of  this  character  has  been  rudely  dissipated,  and 
it  is  time  to  beseech  your  majesty  to  abolish  a  system  during 
the  existence  of  which  the  calamitous  condition  of  our  state 
has  constantly  and  hopelessly  increased.  Fearful  events  have 
followed  in  quick  succession,  and  the  Prussian  states  have  been 
plunged  into  disasters  from  which  they  can  be  restored  only 
by  the  united  strength  of  the  whole  people.  But  although 
the  ministers  are  fully  conscious  of  this  state  of  affairs,  and 
though  they  hold  in  their  hands  the  remedies  that  might 
save  the  kingdom,  they  never  would  be  sure  that  they 
can  profit  by  them,  for  they  see  between  them  and  the 
king  a  power  without  any  well-defined  functions,  and 
without  responsibility,  meddling  with  every  thing  and  direct- 
ing nothing — this  power  can  foil  the  plans  of  the  ministers  at 
any  time,  reverse  their  measures,  and  counteract  their  advice." 

"I  know  very  well,"  said  the  king,  angrily,  "that,  like 
Hardenberg,  you  are  constantly  on  bad  terms  with  Kockeritz, 
Beyme,  and  Lombard,  the  members  of  my  cabinet." 

"Sire,  I  do  not  attack  persons,  but  privileges,"  said  Stein, 
gravely.  "  If  your  majesty  dismiss  those  gentlemen  and  select 
others,  there  would  be  no  change  for  the  better.  If  you  do 
not  permit  the  ministers  to  consult  you  directly  concerning 
the  affairs  of  their  departments — if  you  do  not  reestablish  the 
council  of  state,  and  abolish  the  irresponsible  cabinet,  the 
position  of  your  minister  of  foreign  affairs  would  remain  as  it 
is  now — an  empty  shadow.  But  if  your  majesty  should  gather 
your  ministers  around  you  as  a  regular  council  of  state,  and 
direct  their  loyal  plans  and  counsels  with  that  fatherly  love 
for  your  subjects  which  you  have  manifested  at  all  times,  such 
a  step  would  strengthen  the  confidence  of  your  allies,  restore 
the  courage  of  the  oppressed  nation,  inspire  the  conquered 
provinces  with  the  determination  of  shrinking  from  no  dan- 
ger in  order  to  deliver  themselves  from  the  yoke  of  the  op- 
pressor, and  counteract,  in  the  countries  remaining  as  yet 
intact,  that  discouragement  which  cannot  but  prevent  the 
people  from  making  any  heroic  efforts  in  self-defence.  Sucii, 
sire,"  added  Stein,  drawing  a  deep  breath,  "are  my  honest 


156  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

opinions  and  convictions.  I  lay  them  before  your  majesty 
with  the  sincerity  and  earnestness  which  the  threatening  state 
of  affairs  renders  it  incumbent  on  me  to  manifest.  My  de- 
termination to  share  the  fate  of  the  monarchy,  and  of  your 
majesty's  house,  whatever  may  be  in  store  for  them,  is  well 
known.  But  if  you  are  unwilling  to  give  up  a  system  that  I 
am  satisfied  has  already  brought  so  many  calamities  upon  the 
country,  and  will  continue  to  do  so — if  the  cabinet  is  to  re- 
main, and  if  the  council  of  state,  without  which  I  believe 
Prussia  cannot  be  saved,  is  not  organized — I  most  humbly  beg 
your  majesty  to  accept  my  refusal." 

"You  want  to  threaten  me!"  exclaimed  the  king.  "You 
think,  perhaps,  you  are  alone  able  to  save  Prussia?" 

"No,  your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  looking  the  king  in  the 
face ;  "  no,  I  only  believe  that  the  present  cabinet  government 
is  destined  to  ruin  her." 

The  king  looked  down  for  a  while  musingly.  "  Well,  what 
is  your  idea  about  the  new  council  of  state  which  you  pro- 
pose?" he  asked  after  a  pause.  "Who  is  to  belong  to  it? 
What  is  to  be  its  object?" 

"  Its  object  is  to  be  the  intermediate  voice  between  the  people 
and  the  king ;  to  lay  before  him  the  laws  and  ordinances,  in 
order  to  obtain  his  approval  and  signature ;  to  publish  such 
of  them  as  he  has  sanctioned,  and  to  be  responsible  to  him  for 
the  administration  of  the  country.  But  for  all  these  reasons 
it  would  be  indispensable  that  the  ministers  should  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  king  at  any  time,  and  be  consulted  as  to  any 
resolutions  which  he  would  take  and  in  reference  to  any 
changes  he  would  decide  upon  in  the  general  policy  of  the 
government.  The  ministers  of  foreign  affairs,  of  war,  and  of 
finance,  would  form  the  nucleus  of  this  council,  and  be  as  much 
as  possible  near  the  king's  person.  If  your  majesty  should 
travel,  one  of  them  at  least  would  have  to  accompany  you." 

"That  is  to  say,  you  would  depose  me,"  said  the  king,  a 
deep  blush  mantling  his  cheeks.  "  The  ministers  are  to  gov-< 
ern  alone,  and  I  am  to  have  only  the  right  of  being  a  sort  of 
writing-machine  to  sign  their  decrees." 

"  No,  your  majesty,  the  king  is  to  have  the  deciding  voice 
in  regard  to  every  thing;  but  he  must  graciously  refrain  from 
deciding  any  thing  without  having  listened  to  the  opinions  of 
his  ministers." 

"And  if  I  approve  your  proposition — if  I  assemble  in  my 
cabinet  every  day  a  council  of  state,  consisting  of  the  minis- 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  157 

ters,"  said  the  king,  with  seeming  calmness,  "would  you  then 
be  inclined  to  accept  the  position  I  have  offered  you,  and  be- 
come minister  of  foreign  affairs?" 

"Sire,"  said  Stein,  firmly,  "it  would  not  be  enough  for 
your  majesty  to  appoint  new  ministers,  and  hold  daily  con- 
sultations with  them,  but  you  would  have  also  to  dismiss, 
formally  and  forever,  the  gentlemen  who  have  hitherto  monop- 
olized your  confidence.  Unless  Count  von  llaugwitz  and 
Lombard  be  dismissed  from  the  civil  service — unless  Beyme, 
who  is  suspected  by  and  disagreeable  to  the  Russian  court, 
and  hated  by  a  very  large  majority  of  our  people,  be  deprived 
of  his  present  office,  the  ministers  cannot  rely  on  any  certain 
efficiency  in  their  positions,  and  even  the  council  of  state 
would  offer  them  no  guaranty  whatever  against  the  continued 
secret  cabinet  consisting  of  Messrs,  von  Haugwitz,  Lombard, 
and  Beyme." 

"Enough,"  exclaimed  the  king,  rising  hastily,  and  pacing 
the  room.  "  I  have  listened  to  you  to  the  end,  because  I 
wished  to  see  how  far  your  audacity  would  go,  and  to  gain  a 
clear  insight  into  your  whole  character.  I  was  already  prej- 
udiced against  you.  It  is  true,  I  knew  you  were  a  thought- 
ful, talented,  and  bold  man,  but,  at  the  same  time,  I  believed 
you  to  be  somewhat  eccentric;  in  short,  I  regarded  you  as  a 
man  who,  because  he  always  thinks  only  his  own  opinion  to 
be  correct,  is  unable  to  fill  a  position  in  which  he  would  con- 
stantly come  in  conflict  with  others,  and  soon  be  irritated  and 
discouraged  by  the  clash  of  opinions  prevailing  there.  I 
overcame  these  prejudices,  because  I  have  always  striven  to 
select  the  servants  of  the  state,  not  according  to  the  prompt- 
ings of  personal  whims,  but  of  sensible  reasons.  I  was  advised 
to  appoint  you  minister  of  foreign  affairs;  and  (please  take 
notice  of  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you  now)  those  who  advised 
me  to  do  so — those  who  advocated  your  appointment  most 
strenuously,  were  precisely  the  ones  whom  you  are  now  at- 
tacking, and  are  bent  upon  overthrowing.  I  yielded!  I 
offered  you  the  department  of  foreign  affairs.  You  declined 
the  position  on  the  pretext  of  not  being  familiar  enough  with 
the  details  of  the  department.  Your  refusal  was  greatly  em- 
barrassing to  me,  for  I  still  believed  that  your  services  ought 
to  be  preserved  to  the  state  and  to  myself.  I  overlooked  your 
ungracious  refusal,  and  sent  for  you  to  speak  freely  and  openly 
with  you.  I  have  conversed  with  you,  and  now  know  you 
better!" 


158  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  king,  walking  up  and  down,  uttered  these  words  with 
increasing  excitement,  and  in  a  voice  growing  louder  and 
louder,  without  looking  once  at  Stei-n,  who  had  risen  from 
his  seat,  and,  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height,  listened 
to  this  angry  outburst.  The  king  stood  still  before  him,  and, 
fixing  his  piercing  eyes  on  the  calm,  cold  face  of  the  baron, 
added,  "I  have  found  out,  to  my  regret,  that  my  original 
opinion  of  your  character  was  not  erroneous;  that  my  prej- 
udices against  you  were  just,  and  that  you  ought  to  be  con- 
sidered an  obstinate,  refractory,  and  disobedient  servant  of  the 
state,  who,  boastfully  relying  on  his  genius  and  talents,  so  far 
from  aiming  at  the  welfare  of  his  country,  is  actuated  solely 
by  his  whims,  his  passions,  and  personal  hatred.  Such  men 
are  precisely  those  whose  conduct  is  most  injurious  to  the 
interests  of  the  monarchy." 

"Your  majesty,"  exclaimed  Stein,  impetuously,  "your  maj- 
esty, I—" 

"Silence,"  ejaculated  the  king,  in  an  imperious  voice, 
"  silence  while  I  am  speaking !  I  really  feel  sorry  that  you 
have  compelled  me  to  speak  to  you  so  plainly  and  unreserv- 
edly; but  as  you  are  always  boasting  of  being  a  truthful  man,  I 
have  told  you  my  opinion  in  unvarnished  language,  and  will  add 
that,  if  you  should  be  unwilling  to  change  your  disrespectful 
conduct,  the  state  cannot  count  very  confidently  of  profiting 
further  by  your  services." 

"  Your  majesty,  I  cannot  change  my  conduct,"  exclaimed 
Stein,  pale  with  hidden  anger,  which  he  could  no  longer  re- 
press. "As  you  believe  me  to  be  an  'obstinate,  refractory, 
and  disobedient  servant  of  the  state,  who,  boastfully  relying 
on  his  genius  and  talents,  so  far  from  aiming  at  the  welfare 
of  his  country,  is  actuated  solely  by  his  whims,  his  passions, 
and  personal  hatred — '  " 

"Ah, "  interrupted  the  king,  laughing  scornfully,  "you 
have  an  excellent  memory,  for  I  believe  you  are  repeating  my 
own  words!" 

"  Sire,  this  will  show  you  that  my  conduct  is  not  always  dis- 
respectful, but  that  I  set  so  high  a  value  on  your  royal  words 
that  they  are  immediately  engraved  upon  my  memory,"  said 
Baron  von  Stein,  smiling.  "  But,  inasmuch  as  I  am  also  of 
your  majesty's  opinion  that  such  officials  as  you  have  de- 
scribed me  to  be  are  most  injurious  to  the  interests  of  the 
monarchy,  I  must  request  your  majesty  to  accept  my  decli- 
nation, and  I  hope  it  will  be  granted  immediately." 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  159 

"  You  have  pronounced  your  own  sentence,  and  I  do  not 
know  how  to  add  any  thing  to  it!"  replied  the  king. 

Baron  von  Stein  bowed.  "  I  thank  your  majesty  most 
humbly,"  he  said.  "Now  I  must  beg  that  my  dismissal  from 
the  service  be  communicated  to  me  in  the  usual  form.  I  have 
the  honor  to  take  leave  of  your  majesty." 

Without  waiting  for  the  king's  reply,  the  baron  bowed  a 
second  time,  and  left  the  room  with  measured  steps.  He 
crossed  the  anteroom  rapidly,  and  then  entered  the  apartment 
contiguous  to  the  hall.  A  royal  valet  de  chambre  hastened  to 
meet  him.  "Your  excellency,"  he  said,  "the  queen  begs  you 
to  be  so  kind  as  to  go  immediately  to  her.  She  instructed 
me  to  wait  here  till  your  return  from  the  king,  and  ordered 
me  to  announce  you  directly  to  her  majesty." 

"  Announce  me,  then,"  said  Baron  von  Stein,  following  the 
footman  with  a  mournful  air. 

The  queen  was  in  her  cabinet,  and  rose  from  her  divan 
when  Baron  von  Stein  entered.  She  offered  her  hand  to  the 
minister  with  a  smile.  "I  begged  you  to  come  to  me,"  she 
said,  "  because  I  intended  to  be  the  first  to  wish  you — nay, 
ourselves — joy  of  your  new  position.  The  king  has  informed 
me  that  he  would  intrust  the  office  of  Count  von  Haugwitz  to 
you,  and  I  tell  you  truly  that  this  is  as  a  beam  of  light  for  me 
in  the  gloom  of  our  present  circumstances.  I  know  that  you 
are  a  true  and  faithful  patriot;  that  you  have  the  welfare  of 
Prussia,  of  Germany,  and  of  our  dynasty  at  heart,  and  that 
you  have  the  will  and  the  ability  to  help  us  all — this  is  the 
reason  why  I  wish  ourselves  joy  of — " 

"Pardon  me,  your  majesty,  for  daring  to  interrupt  you," 
said  Baron  von  Stein,  in  a  low,  melancholy  voice;  "but  I 
cannot  accept  your  congratulations.  I  was  not  appointed 
minister  of  foreign  affairs,  but  the  king  has  just  granted  my 
request  to  be  dismissed  from  the  service." 

The  queen  started,  and  turned  pale.  "  You  did  not  accept 
the  position  which  the  king  offered  to  you?"  she  asked. 
"Oh,  then  I  was  mistaken  in  you,  too!  There  is,  alas!  no 
more  fidelity  or  constancy  on  earth!"  She  pressed  her  hand 
against  her  aching  forehead,  and  tottered  back  a  few  steps,  to 
sink  exhausted  on  the  divan. 

Baron  von  Stein  approached,  and  his  face  seemed  to  be 
radiant  with  energy  and  determination.  "  No,  queen,"  he 
said,  loudly  and  firmly — "no;  you  were  not  mistaken  in  me, 
and  if  your  majesty  hitherto  believed  me  to  be  a  faithful  and 


160  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

reliable  man,  I  am  sure  you  only  did  me  justice.  Fealty  does 
not  change,  however,  and  he  who  has  once  been  found  reliable 
will  be  so  forever.  No ;  let  me  repeat  once  more,  your  majesty 
was  not  mistaken  in  me,  although  I  rejected  the  position 
offered  to  me.  I  fearlessly  and  truthfully  stated  to  his  majesty 
the  conditions  on  which  alone  I  could  accept  it.  The  king 
was  unwilling  to  submit  to  these  conditions;  he  was  angry  at 
them  and  reproached  me  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  me  no 
choice  but  to  present  him  my  humble  declination,  which  he 
granted  immediately.  I  did  not  refuse  his  offer  because  the 
situation  of  the  country  frightened  me,  but  because,  above 
all,  I  had  to  remain  faithful  to  myself,  and  obey  the  prompt- 
ings of  my  conviction.  My  love,  my  fealty,  my  soul,  belong 
to  Prussia  and  the  royal  dynasty.  I  retire  into  obscurity,  and 
shall  wait  for  the  voice  of  Prussia  and  of  my  king.  When  he 
calls  me — when  he  can  profit  by  services  such  as  I  am  able 
conscientiously  to  perform — when  he  permits  me  to  be  faith- 
ful to  myself  and  to  my  principles,  that  all  my  energy  and 
faculties  may  be  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  my  country,  I  shall 
gladly  be  ready  to  obey  his  call  and  enter  upon  those  services. 
I  would  come  to  him,  though  from  the  most  remote  regions, 
and  even  should  death  menace  me  at  every  step.  A  true  man 
does  not  shrink  from  danger  or  death,  but  from  hypocrisy  and 
falsehood,  whether  it  concerns  himself  or  others ;  he  will  not 
stoop  to  the  tricks  of  diplomacy  and  dally  with  that  which 
ought  to  be  either  forcibly  removed  from  his  path  or  carefully 
avoided,  but  with  which  he  never  ought  to  enter  into  com- 
promise or  alliance." 

"Now  I  understand  you,"  said  the  queen,  gently  and 
mournfully.  "  You  did  not  wish  to  enter  into  an  alliance 
with  the  secret  friends  of  the  French  in  our  suite.  The  king 
was  unwilling  to  sacrifice  Haugwitz,  Beyme,  and  Lombard  to 
you,  and  hence  you  withdraw  from  the  service.  You  did 
right,  and  it  makes  my  heart  ache  to  be  compelled  to  admit 
it.  So  long  as  those  three  men  are  here,  there  will  be  a  policy 
of  continued  vacillation  and  hesitancy,  and  what  you  would 
do  one  day  those  three  men  would  annul  the  next.  Oh!  the 
king  is  so  generous,  so  faithful  and  modest!  He  believes  in 
the  disinterestedness  of  Minister  von  Haugwitz,  in  his  honesty 
and  sagacity;  for  this  reason,  he  will  not  altogether  give  him 
up,  and  he  listens  still  to  his  advice,  although  Haugwitz  is  no 
longer  at  the  head  of  the  foreign  department.  Because  the 
king  himself  is  taciturn,  and  thinks  and  feels  more  in  his 


THE  QUEEN  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE.    161 

head  and  heart  than  is  uttered  by  his  lips,  Beyme's  eloquence 
and  quick  perception  fill  him  with  respect;  and  because  he  is 
so  very  modest,  and  always  believes  others  to  be  more  sagacious 
than  himself,  he  esteems  Lombard's  abilities  highly,  and 
wishes  to  preserve  his  services  to  the  state.  You  know  what 
I  think  of  Lombard,  and  that  at  Stettin  I  was  carried  away 
by  ray  anger  at  his  conduct,  more  than  was  compatible  with 
prudence.  I  caused  the  man  to  be  arrested,  whom  I  knew  to 
be  ready  at  that  moment  to  betray  me  and  the  whole  of  Prus- 
sia, and  whom  I  suspected  of  being  in  the  pay  of  the  French 
emperor.  But  you  know  also  that  my  act  was  repudiated,  and 
that  immediate  steps  were  taken  to  annul  it.  A  special 
courier  was  sent  to  Stettin  to  procure  the  release  of  Lombard, 
and  to  convey  him  under  a  safe-escort  to  Kiistrin ;  the  mes- 
senger even  took  an  autograph  letter  from  the  king  to  him, 
in  which  his  majesty  regretted  the  occurrence  as  arising  from 
mere  mistake.  I  do  not  tell  you  this  in  order  to  complain  of 
it,  but  to  show  you  how  deep-rooted  is  the  influence  of  those 
men,  and  how  time  is  required  to  destroy  it.  But  the  time 
will  come — believe  me,  it  will — when  Prussia  will  extend  her 
hand  toward  you,  and  need  your  strong  arm  and  firm  will. 
Promise  me  that  you  will  wait,  and  not  give  up  to  despair — 
that  you  will  not  enter  the  service  of  another  monarch,  so 
that,  when  Prussia  calls  you,  you  may  be  at  liberty  to  respond." 

"I  promise  it  to  your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  solemnly.  "I 
will  wait;  blessed  be  the  hour  when  Prussia  needs  me,  and 
when  I  shall  be  able  to  serve  her  again!" 

"Yes,  blessed  be  that  hour!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  and, 
raising  her  eyes  piously  to  heaven,  she  whispered,  "  God 
grant  that  it  may  come  soon,  for  then  a  change  in  our  cir- 
cumstances will  have  taken  place,  and  we  shall  have  passed 
from*  present  incertitude  to  firm  determination.  Oh,  how 
much  distress — how  many  disappointments  and  mortifications 
— until  that  change  shall  come !  May  we  have  strength  to 
bear,  and  courage  to  overcome  them!" 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE   QUEEN   AT  THE   PEASANT'S   COTTAGE. 

IT  was  a  stormy  night.  The  wind  was  howling  through 
the  pines,  and  driving  the  snow  in  dense  clouds  from  the 
highway  leading  through  the  forest.  There  was  no  sound 


162  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

save  that  of  the  winter's  gale,  and  the  trees  groaning  beneath 
its  power.  A  solitary  light,  twinkling  as  a  star  through  the 
dark  woods,  was  shedding  its  beams  on  this  desolate  scene. 
It  proceeded  from  a  small  house  near  the  main  road,  where 
the  forest-keeper  had  peacefully  lived  with  his  wife  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  On  the  hearth  in  the  cottage  a  merry  fire 
was  burning,  and  Katharine,  the  forest-keeper's  wife,  was  in- 
dustriously occupied  with  it,  while  the  young  servant-girl, 
seated  on  a  low  cane  chair  near  the  hearth,  her  hands  clasped 
on  her  lap,  had  fallen  asleep. 

"Martha,"  exclaimed  the  old  woman,  in  an  angry  voice — 
"Martha,  are  you  asleep  again?" 

The  girl  opened  her  eyes  lazily  and  yawned.  "  Why  should 
I  not  sleep?"  she  asked.  "It  is  time  to  do  so,  and  every 
Christian  has  long  since  gone  to  bed.  Let  me  also  go  to  my 
bedchamber  and  sleep!" 

"No,  you  must  stay  here,"  said  Katharine,  quickly;  "I  do 
not  want  to  be  alone  in  such  a  night.  The  wind  is  roaring 
in  the  chimney  so  fearfully  that  we  might  almost  fancy  Old 
Nick  or  the  French  were  coming  down  to  carry  us  away,  or, 
at  any  rate,  our  last  piece  of  bread  and  meat!" 

"Meat!"  ejaculated  the  servant-girl,  laughing  scornfully. 
"  Old  Nick,  or  even  the  French,  would  be  unable  to  find  any 
meat  in  your  house.  Would  that  I  could  only  get  the  wages 
you  owe  me  for  the  last  six  months,  I  should  leave  forthwith 
this  miserable  place,  where  one  has  so  little  to  eat,  and  where 
it  is  so  dreadfully  tiresome !" 

"You  have  not  suffered  hunger  as  yet,  Martha,"  said  the 
old  woman,  deprecatingly.  "  It  is  true,  we  have  no  meat 
left ;  the  last  ham  we  had  has  been  consumed,  and  our  last 
chickens  had  to  be  taken  to  town  to  be  sold  there — " 

"And  your  husband  has  taken  away  your  only  cow,  ".cried 
Martha,  half  angrily,  half  sadly ;  "  he  is  going  to  sell  the  good 
animal  that  always  gave  us  such  excellent  milk  and  butter.  I 
tell  you  it  is  a  shame  that  he  should  do  so,  and  I  shall  never 
go  back  to  the  stable  where  my  dear  cow's  lowing  will  no 
more  greet  me!" 

"  You  will,  nevertheless,  have  to  go  back,  Martha,  for  the 
two  goats  are  still  there;  you  must  give  them  fodder,  so  that 
they  may  give  us  milk.  They  are  all  we  have  left !  Do  you 
think  it  did  not  grieve  me  to  part  with  our  fine  cow  which  I 
had  raised  myself?  I  wept  for  her  all  last  night,  and  would 
have  given  away  my  hand  rather  than  sell  her.  But  no  one 


THE  QUEEN  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE.    163 

would  have  paid  any  thing  for  my  old  hand.  We  had  to  have 
money  to  pay  your  wages,  so  as  not  to  be  obliged  to  listen 
longer  to  your  continued  importunities.  That  was  the 
reason  why  my  good  old  man  took  the  cow  to  town.  It  cut 
him  to  the  quick  to  hear  you  dunning  us  all  th6  time  for  a 
few  dollars." 

The  servant-girl  cast  down  her  eyes  and  blushed.  "  I  did 
not  mean  any  harm,  Mde.  Katharine,"  she  said,  in  confusion. 
"  It  was  mere  talk ;  I  always  hoped  master  would  take  a  lesson 
from  me  and  dun  the  count  in  the  same  manner  for  his  own 
wages.  But  the  great  lords  are  living  sumptuously,  and  do 
not  care  whether  their  servants  are  starving  to  death  or  not!" 

"Our  count,  Martha,  does  not  live  ovTnptuously,"  said 
Katharine,  heaving  a  sigh.  "  The  French  destroyed  his  pal- 
ace, and — but  hush!  Did  you  not  hear  something  outside? 
I  thought  I  heard  some  one  call." 

The  two  women  were  silent  and  listened ;  but  nothing  was 
to  be  heard.  The  storm  was  howling,  and  rattling  the  win- 
dows. At  times  an  iron  hand  seemed  to  pass  across  the  panes 
— it  was  the  snow  which  the  wind  lashed  against  the  house  as 
if  intending  to  awaken  the  inmates  from  their  slumbers. 

"A  terrible  night!"  murmured  Katharine,  shuddering. 
"  I  hope  that  my  dear  old  man  won't  return  in  such  a  storm, 
but  stop  with  one  of  his  friends  at  the  neighboring  village. 
Heaven  preserve  any  human  being  out  in  such  a  night  as  this 
on  the  highway,  and  from — " 

A  loud  knock  at  the  window-panes  interrupted  her,  and  a 
voice  outside  shouted  imperiously,  "  Open  the  door!" 

The  two  women  uttered  a  shrill  scream,  and  Martha  clung 
anxiously  and  with  both  her  hands  to  Katharine's  arm. 

"I  beseech  you,  Mde.  Katharine,"  she  whispered  with 
quivering  lips,  "don't  open.  It  is  assuredly  Old  Nick  or  the 
French  that  want  to  come  in !" 

"Fiddlesticks!  The  devil  does  not  wait  for  the  door  to 
open,  but  comes  down  the  flue,"  said  Katharine;  "  and  as  to 
the  French,  the  Parlez-vous,  why,  they  cannot  speak  German. 
Just  listen  how  they  are  commanding  and  begging  outside. 
'Open  the  door!'  Well,  yes,  yes!  I  am  coming.  No  one 
shall  say  that  old  Katharine  suffered  people  to  freeze  to  death 
in  the  forest  while  she  had  fire  on  her  hearth."  Disengaging 
herself  from  Martha's  grasp,  she  hastened  to  the  door,  and 
opening  it  quickly,  said,  "  Whoever  you  may  be,  you  are  wel- 
come!" 


NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  Btorm  rushed  in  with  a  terrible  noise,  driving  the  snow 
into  the  house,  and  blowing  up  the  fire  on  the  hearth  into  a 
still  brighter  blaze. 

There  appeared  on  the  threshold  a  tall  lady,  wrapped  in  a 
dark  velvet  cloak,  trimmed  with  fur;  her  head  covered  with 
a  silken  cape,  to  which  a  white  lace  veil  was  fastened.  Be- 
hind her  were  another  richly-dressed  lady,  and  two  men  in 
blue  coats,  splendidly  embroidered  with  silver. 

"  You  permit  us,  then,  my  dear  woman,  to  enter  your  house 
and  stop  here  overnight?"  asked  the  veiled  lady,  in  a  gentle, 
sonorous  voice. 

Old  Katharine  stood  staring  at  her.  She  felt  as  frightened 
as  if  a  sorceress  had  entered  her  house.  "  First  let  me  see 
your  face,"  she  said,  growing  bold  notwithstanding  her  in- 
ward terror;  " I  must  see  who  you  are." 

An  indignant  murmur  arose  among  the  attendants  of  the 
lady,  but  she  ordered  them  to  be  quiet  with  a  wave  of  her 
hand.  She  then  turned  once  more  to  Katharine.  "  Well,  my 
good  woman,  look  at  me,"  she  said,  drawing  back  her  veil. 

A  pale,  wondrously  beautiful  face  was  visible,  and  eyes 
more  lustrous  than  the  old  woman  had  ever  seen  before,  looked 
at  her  gently  and  kindly. 

"Do  you  know  me  now?"  asked  the  lady,  with  a  smile  full 
of  touching  melancholy. 

"No,"  said  Katharine,  "  I  do  not  know  you,  but  you  are  as 
beautiful  as  the  angels  that  sometimes  appear  to  me  in  my 
dreams,  or  as  the  fairies  of  whom  my  mother  used  to  tell  me 
when  I  was  a  little  child.  Come  in,  you  as  well  as  the  others. 
There  is  room  at  the  hearth  for  all  who  are  cold." 

The  strange  lady  smiled  and  advanced  into  the  cottage; 
before  doing  so,  however,  she  turned  around.  "  M.  von 
Schladen,"  she  said,  in  French,  "pray,  give  orders  to  all  not 
to  betray  my  incognito.  I  am  here  the  Countess  von  Hohen- 
zieritz;  please  inform  the  servants  of  it." 

The  gentleman,  who  had  just  appeared  on  the  threshold, 
bowed  and  stepped  back.  She  and  her  companion  approached 
the  fire ;  the  two  servants,  in  their  gorgeous  liveries,  stood  in 
silence  at  the  open  door.  The  lady  took  off  her  fur  gloves 
with  a  hasty  motion,  and  held  her  small  white  hands  toward 
the  fire.  A  ring  with  large  diamonds  was  sparkling  on  her 
forefinger.  Old  Katharine  had  never  before  seen  any  thing 
like  it — she  stood  staring  at  the  lady,  and  dreaming  again  of 
the  fairy-stories  of  her  childhood,  while  Martha  sat  on  her 


THE  QUEET  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE.    105 

cane  chair  as  if  petrified,  and  afraid  lest  the  slightest  noise 
should  dispel  the  enchanting  apparition. 

"  Oh,  how  pleasant  this  is!"  said  the  lady,  drawing  a  deep 
breath;  "my  hands  were  quite  chilled.  Countess  Truchsess, 
come  here  and  follow  my  example!" 

The  young  lady,  who  was  standing  near  in  a  silent  and  re- 
spectful attitude,  approached  the  fire,  and  eagerly  stretched 
her  small  hands  toward  it. 

"How  comfortable,  is  it  not?"  asked  the  lady  who  had 
styled  herself  Countess  von  Hohenzieritz.  "  Oh,  after  sulfer- 
ing  from  the  cold  a  whole  day,  we  learn  to  appreciate  the  boon 
of  the  fire  which  otherwise  we  fear  as  a  dangerous  element." 
And  thoughtfully  looking  into  the  warm  glow,  she  muttered 
to  herself,  "  We  are  now  wandering  about  in  the  cold,  and  are 
chilled;  will  no  hospitable  fire  warm  our  hearts  again?"  She 
bent  forward  without  uttering  a  complaint,  or  heaving  a  sigh. 

Katharine  could  not  avert  her  eyes;  she  gazed  at  the  lady's 
sparkling  jewels,  and  then  looked  at  her  face.  Suddenly  she 
noticed  two  diamond  drops  roll  slowly  over  her  transparent 
cheeks;  but  they  were  no  diamonds  like  those  flashing  on  her 
hands — they  were  tears.  She  shook  them  off  with  an  impet- 
uous motion,  and  turned  to  old  Katharine,  who,  clasping  her 
hands,  asked  herself  wonderingly  whether  angels  could  weep. 

"My  good  woman,"  said  the  countess,  "  will  you  permit  us 
to  stay  here  until  daybreak  ?  We  have  lost  our  way  in  the 
snow-storm.  We  thought  to  reach  Konigsberg  before  night- 
fall, but,  I  suppose,  the  city  is  yet  quite  distant?" 

"Ten  hours,  at  least,"  said  Katharine,  timidly.  "You 
have  lost  your  way,  indeed — probably  at  the  cross-roads,  two 
miles  from  here.  Instead  of  following  the  main  one,  you  took 
the  side-road.  Well,  such  things  may  happen  to  the  most 
skilful  driver,  in  a  snow-storm,  when  he  cannot  see  his  hand 
before  him." 

"  I  believe  that  such  things  may  happen,  and  do  not  blame 
any  one  for  what  has  occurred,"  said  the  countess,  gently. 
"Tell  me  now,  have  you  room  and  beds  for  all  of  us?" 

"  The  two  ladies  may  sleep  in  my  bed,  provided  they  occupy 
it  together.  But  I  have  no  others,"  said  Katharine. 

"I  need  no  bed,"  exclaimed  the  younger  lady,  quickly;  "I 
shall  content  myself  with  sitting  at  the  fireside." 

u  And  I,"  said  M.  von  Schladen,  who  had  just  entered,  "I 
beg  leave  to  be  allowed  to  pass  the  night  in  the  travelling' 
coach." 

II  — MUHLBACH  V01-     10 


166  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"You  will  catch  cold  in  the  carriage,  sir,"  said  Katharine, 
"and  there  is  danger,  moreover,  that,  falling  asleep,  you 
might  never  wake  again.  But  in  the  hay-loft  it  is  warm  and 
soft;  you  and  the  other  gentleman  may  sleep  there,  if  you 
please." 

The  Countess  Hohenzieritz  smiled.  "Well,"  she  said,  "a 
high-chamberlain  in  a  hay-loft!  That  is  a  melancholy  ad- 
venture, I  should  think?" 

"No,  gracious  countess,  it  sounds  quite  ludicrous,"  said  the 
high-chamberlain,  "  and  if  only  your — if  only  the  gracious 
countess  had  a  good  bed,  I  should  have  no  reason  whatever  for 
being  melancholy.  There  are  thousands  nowadays  sleeping 
on  the  hard  ground,  without  a  bunch  of  hay  for  a  pillow!" 

"Our  dead  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt,  for  instance,"  said  the 
countess,  sighing.  "  But  they  are  well :  the  dead  sleep 
gently !  At  times  I  feel  like  envying  them,  for  their  rest  is 
more  peaceful  than  that  of  the  living.  Let  us  not  murmur, 
but  rejoice  at  having  found  shelter  for  the  night !  We  shall 
remain,  then,  in  this  room,  and  the  high-chamberlain  will 
sleep  in  the  hay-loft.  But  where  shall  we  place  our  servants, 
and  what  is  to  become  of  our  horses?" 

"  How  many  horses  have  you?"  asked  Katharine. 

"  Six  horses  and  an  outrider,"  said  M.  von  Schladen. 

"What!"  exclaimed  Katharine,  in  dismay.  "Six  horses! 
How  extravagant  in  times  so  wretched  as  these,  when  the  king 
himself  would  be  glad  to  have  two  horses  to  his  carriage, 
and—" 

"Silence!"  interrupted  the  high-chamberlain  in  great  ex- 
citement. 

"  You  are  right,  my  dear  woman"  said  the  countess,  smil- 
ing. "  The  king  will  certainly  be  glad  to  have  two  horses 
left,  especially  if  they  always  draw  him  in  the  right  way. 
But  it  was  no  wanton  arrogance  on  our  part  to  take  so  many 
horses;  we  did  so  only  on  account  of  the  bad  roads,  and  in 
order  to  travel  as  rapidly  as  possible." 

"  Well,  the  horses  can  stand  in  the  cow-stable  and  the  wood- 
shed," said  Katharine.  "  Go,  Martha,  light  the  lanterns,  and 
show  the  coachman  to  the  stable,  and  the  gentleman  to  the 
hay-loft.  I  will  make  the  bed  for  the  ladies."  And,  draw- 
ing back  the  blue-striped  linen  curtains  covering  the  large  old 
family-bed,  she  muttered  to  herself:  "It  is  very  lucky  that 
my  old  man  has  not  come  home ;  otherwise  I  should  really  be 
at  a  loss  where  to  place  my  high-born  guests." 


THE  QUEEN  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE:.    1G7 

Half  an  hour  afterward  tranquillity  again  reigned  in  the 
cottage.  The  horses,  the  servants,  and  the  high-chamberlain, 
had  been  conducted  to  their  quarters  in  the  cow-stuble,  wood- 
shed, and  hay-loft.  Katharine  and  Martha  had  withdrawn 
to  the  servant-girl's  small  chamber,  and  on  the  lower  floor, 
which  served,  at  the  same  time,  as  a  kitchen,  hall,  and  sitting- 
room,  a  couch  had  been  prepared  for  the  two  ladies.  But  the 
young  Countess  von  Truchsess  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to 
occupy  one-half.  She  placed  the  cane  chair  against  the  high 
bedstead,  and,  sitting  on  it  as  on  a  tabouret  at  the  foot  of  a 
throne,  she  supported  her  head  on  the  cushions  of  the  bed, 
over  which  the  crimson  satin  blanket,  lined  with  fur,  that  the 
ladies  had  wrapped  around  their  feet  in  the  carriage,  had  been 
spread.  The  Countess  von  Hoheuzieritz  was  reposing  on 
this,  her  noble  form  still  wrapped  in  the  fur  robe,  fulling 
down  to  her  feet  in  ample  folds;  her  head  was  leaning  back 
on  the  cushions,  and  the  crimson  of  the  blanket  contrasted 
strikingly  with  her  white  cheeks  and  light-brown  hair.  She 
had  clasped  her  small,  slender  hands  on  her  lap ;  her  large 
eyes  looked  upward  in  devotion,  and  her  lips  uttered  fervent 
words,  which  no  one  heard  and  understood  but  lie  to  whom 
they  were  addressed. 

The  fire  on  the  hearth,  to  which  large  logs  of  wood  had 
been  added,  continued  blazing  merrily;  at  times,  when  the 
wind  came  down  the  chimney  violently,  the  flames  rose  high, 
and  the  beautiful  figure  in  the  miserable  room  was  illuminated 
by  the  red  light  as  by  a  halo.  Her  countenance  was  as  pale 
and  peaceful  as  that  of  the  blessed  dead,  and  yet  an  ardent 
vitality  was  beaming  in  her  unclosed  eyes.  On  the  wretched 
bed  in  the  peasant's  cottage  she  was  dreaming  of  her  former 
happiness — of  the  magnificent  days  which  she  had  seen,  and 
which,  she  believed,  would  never  return.  But  she  did  not 
bewail  her  departed  glory,  and  her  menaced  welfare  caused 
her  no  regret. 

"Preserve  to  me,  merciful  God!  the  love  of  my  husband," 
she  whispered ;  "  let  my  children  grow  great  in  name  and  in 
soul.  Oh,  if  I  could  purchase  happiness  for  them  by  sacri- 
ficing my  life,  I  would  gladly  let  my  heart's  blood  ebb  away 
drop  by  drop — if  by  my  death  I  could  restore  to  my  husband 
his  former  power,  how  cheerfully  I  would  die!  0  my  God, 
save  and  protect  Prussia:  but  if  such  should  not  be  Thy  will, 
teach  us  how  to  fall  and  die  with  her  in  an  honorable  manner! 
Preserve  us  from  disgrace  and  despondency ;  teach  us  how  to 


168  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

bear  great  disasters  with  dignified  resignation,  and  grant  that 
we  may  never  be  so  faint-hearted  as  to  sink  beneath  petty 
calamities!" 

She  paused,  and  looked  upward  with  radiant  eyes;  just 
then  the  storm  outside  was  howling  with  awful  violence,  and 
made  the  cottage  tremble.  "Such  a  storm  without,  and 
peace  within!  Let  it  always  be  so,  my  God,"  she  whispered, 
gently  pressing  her  hand  against  her  breast.  "  0  peace, 
sweet  peace,  when  will  it  descend  to  us  from  heaven!"  Grad- 
ually the  words  died  away  on  her  lips ;  her  eyelids  drooped. 
Heaven  sent  to  her  the  brother  of  peace — sleep — that  it  might 
comfort  her  weary  eyes  and  invigorate  her  after  the  troubles 
and  exertions  of  the  previous  day.  The  storm  continued  all 
night  long,  but  the  beautiful  sleeper  heard  it  only  as  a  lullaby 
hushing  her  to  sweet  repose. 

At  daybreak  there  was  a  stir  in  the  cottage.  Katharine 
came  to  rekindle  the  extinct  fire,  and  the  two  ladies  rose, 
chilled  and  shuddering,  to  prepare  for  their  journey.  The 
travelling-coach,  drawn  by  the  six  horses,  rolled  up  to  the 
door,  and  High-chamberlain  von  Schladen  rapped  timidly  and 
begged  leave  to  enter.  The  countess  bade  him  come  in,  and 
replied  with  a  sweet  smile  to  his  inquiries  as  to  her  night's 
rest.  "  I  have  slept,"  she  said,  "  and  feel  sufficiently  invigo- 
rated now  to  continue  the  journey." 

"In  four  hours  we  shall  be  in  Konigsberg,"  said  M.  von 
Schladen.  "  It  is  a  clear  morning ;  the  storm  is  over,  and  the 
sun  will  soon  burst  forth  from  behind  the  clouds." 

"'The  sun  will  soon  burst  forth  from  behind  the  clouds,' ' 
repeated  the  countess,  musingly.  "Those  are  cheering 
words;  could  they  but  be  fulfilled  for  all  of  us!  Let  us  has- 
ten to  reach  Konigsberg;  for  there  at  least  will  be  one  sun- 
beam for  me — I  shall  see  my  children  again,  and  my  husband 
also  will  join  us  on  returning  from  the  Eussian  camp." 

M.  von  Schladen  advanced  a  few  steps,  and  said  in  a  low 
and  hurried  voice :  "  The  king  is  already  in  Konigsberg.  I 
have  seen  a  peasant,  the  owner  of  this  cottage,  who  has  come 
from  Konigsberg.  He  walked  all  night,  and  left  the  city  just 
at  the  moment  when  the  king  with  his  suite  returned." 

"And  did  the  man  bring  other  news?"  asked  the  lady, 
hastily. 

"  A  rumor  was  in  circulation  in  Konigsberg  that  the  French 
were  advancing  from  Posen,  and,  the  Russian  columns  being 


THE  QUEEN  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE.    1G9 

•also  on  the  move,  it  was  generally  believed  that  a  battle  would 
soon  take  place." 

The  lady  walked  rapidly  to  the  door.  "  Let  us  set  out  as 
soon  as  possible,"  she  said;  suddenly,  however,  she  turned  pale 
and  leaned  against  the  wall  to  prevent  herself  from  falling. 

"Oh, "she  murmured  faintly,  "what  weak,  pitiful  beings 
we  are,  after  all!  The  soul  is  strong  enough  to  bear  the 
heaviest  burden,  but  the  body  is  so  weak  that  a  twelve  hours' 
fast  is  sufficient  to  overpower  it!" 

Just  then  Katharine  entered  the  room ;  on  seeing  the  lady 
looking  so  faint,  she  hastened  to  her,  and  asked  sympathiz- 
ingly  for  the  cause  of  her  pallor  and  exhaustion. 

"I  will  tell  you,  my  dear  woman,"  whispered  the  lady,  with 
a  sad  smile,  "I  am  hungry!" 

"Oh,"  sighed  M.  von  Schladen,  "and  we  have  no  refresh- 
ments with  us!" 

"But  I  have  some  for  the  beautiful  lady,"  said  Katharine, 
proudly.  "  I  was  right  in  thinking  that  high-born  people 
must  eat  sometimes,  and  are  not  refreshed  merely  by  their 
magnificent  dresses  and  the  splendor  surrounding  them,  but 
are  obliged  to  put  something  into  their  mouths,  like  us  com- 
mon people.  Look,  there  is  Martha  Avith  the  breakfast!" 
And,  in  truth,  Martha  was  just  entering  the  door,  holding  in 
her  hand  a  pitcher  filled  with  fresh,  smoking  milk. 

Katharine  took  an  earthen  cup  from  the  shelf  near  the 
hearth,  and  filled  it  to  the  brim.  "Now  drink,"  she  said, 
handing  the  cup  to  the  countess;  "  it  will  strengthen  you;  it 
is  splendid  goat's  milk,  so  fine  and  warm  that  city  folks  never 
get  any  thing  like  it;  no  fire  warmed  this  milk,  but  God,  who 
gave  life  and  warmth  to  my  dear  goat.  Drink,  then,  in  His 
name!" 

"  No  refreshment  has  ever  been  presented  to  me  in  so  cor- 
dial a  mariner,"  said  the  countess,  nodding  kindly  to  the  old 
peasant-woman.  "  I  shall  carefully  remember  your  heart-felt 
words,  and  drink  the  milk  in  the  name  of  the  good  Lord,  but 
only  provided  you,  Countess  Truchsess,  and  you,  too,  M.  von 
Schladen,  can  likewise  have  a  cup  of  this  splendid  milk." 

"We  shall  have  some,"  said  the  Countess  von  Truchsess; 

"please  your ,  the  gracious  countess  will  please  drink  her 

milk."  The  countess  placed  the  cup  on  the  window-sill  with- 
out having  touched  it  with  her  lips.  "  You  see  I  am  wait- 
ing," she  said — "  make  haste!"  She  herself  then  hastened  to 


170  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  cupboard  near  the  hearth,  and  took  from  it  two  small 
earthen  jars,  which  she  handed  to  Katharine  to  fill  with  milk. 

"  And  have  you  not  something  to  eat  with  the  milk,  my 
dear  woman?"  asked  M.  von  Schladen,  in  a  low  voice. 

"I  have  but  a  loaf  of  stale  brown  bread,"  said  Katharine, 
"  but  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  too  hard  for  the  fine  teeth  ,of  the 
countess." 

"Give  it  to  me  at  all  events,"  said  the  countess,  "my  teeth 
will  be  able  to  manage  it." 

Old  Katharine  took  a  large  loaf  of  bread  from  the  cupboard, 
cut  off  a  thick  slice,  and  presented  it  on  the  bright  pewter 
plate,  the  principal  ornament  of  her  house.  The  countess 
broke  off  a  piece,  and,  leaning  against  the  window,  com- 
menced eating  her  frugal  breakfast. 

The  Countess  von  Truchsess  and  the  high-chamberlain  had 
retired  to  the  hearth  to  partake  of  the  strange  and  unwonted 
food.  Katharine  and  Martha  stood  at  the  door,  staring  ad- 
miringly at  the  lady  who  was  leaning  against  the  window,  and 
just  lifting  the  stale  brown  bread  to  her  mouth.  She  did  not 
notice  that  the  two  were  looking  at  her;  she  was  gazing 
thoughtfully  at  the  large  bedstead  in  which  she  had  passed 
the  night  in  tears  and  prayers.  Her  glance  then  turned  to 
the  piece  of  bread  which  she  held  in  her  hand,  and  from  which 
she  had  vainly  tried  to  eat.  The  bread  and  the  bed  reminded 
her  of  an  hour  long  past,  when  she  was  a  happy  queen — an 
hour  when  her  mental  eye  descried  the  future,  and  the  words 
of  a  beautiful  and  melancholy  song  aroused  in  her  anxious 
forebodings,  and  seemed  to  her  a  prophecy  of  her  own  destiny. 
As  she  thought  of  those  golden  days,  her  eyes  filled  with  tears, 
which  rolled  over  her  cheeks  and  trickled  down  on  the  bread 
in  her  hand.  "Oh,"  she  murmured,  "now  I  shall  be  able  to 
eat  it;  I  am  softening  it  with  my  tears!"  And  to  conceal 
theni  she  averted  her  head,  and  looked  out  at  the  forest, 
whose  lofty  pines  were  adorned  with  snow-wreaths.  Her  tears 
gradually  ceased — she  drew  the  large  diamond  ring  from  her 
finger,  and,  using  the  pointed  stone  as  a  pen,  wrote  rapidly 
on  the  window-pane. 

Old  Katharine  and  Martha  stared  at  her  in  dismay ;  the 
characters  appearing  on  the  glass  filled  them  with  astonish- 
ment and  superstitious  awe,  and  they  thought  the  handsome 
lady  who  knew  how  to  write  with  a  precious  stone  might  after 
all  be  a  fairy,  who,  persecuted  by  some  evil  sorcerer,  had  fled 


THE  QUEEN  AT  THE  PEASANT'S  COTTAGE.   171 

thither  into  the  dark  forest,  and  was  writing  some  exorcising 
words  on  the  window-pane,  lest  her  enemy  should  pursue  and 
have  power  over  her. 

The  lady  replaced  the  ring  on  her  finger,  and  turned  to 
the  young  countess  and  the  high-chamberlain.  "  Now,  I  am 
ready,"  she  said,  "let  us  set  out."  She  walked  to  the  door, 
and  shaking  hands  with  old  Katharine,  thanked  her  for  the 
hospitable  reception  she  had  met  with  in  her  cottage,  and 
then  stepped  out  of  the  low  door  for  the  carriage,  at  which 
the  high-chamberlain  was  awaiting  her. 

"  I  beg  leave,  gracious  countess,  to  take  upon  myself  the 
functions  of  our  outrider.  The  road  is  broken  and  full  of 
holes,  and  as  I  have  a  keen  eye,  I  shall  see  them  in  time,  and 
call  the  attention  of  the  coachman  to  them." 

The  countess  thanked  him  with  a  kind  glance.  "  I  accept 
your  offer,"  she  said — "may  a  time  come  when  I  shall  be  able 
to  thank  my  faithful  friends  for  the  attachment  and  devotion 
they  manifest  toward  me  during  affliction,  and  which  are 
engraven  in  diamond  letters  on  my  heart !  But  let  us  thank 
the  good  woman  who  received  us  so  hospitably  last  night.  I 
request  you  to  give  this  to  her  in  my  name."  She  handed 
her  purse  filled  with  gold-pieces  to  the  high-chamberlain,  and 
entered  the  carriage.  M.  von  Schladen  stoo'd  still  until  the 
carriage  rolled  away.  Before  mounting  he  hastened  into  the 
house. 

Old  Katharine  and  Martha  stood  in  the  room,  and  were 
looking  in  silent  astonishment  at  the  neat  characters  on  the 
pane,  the  meaning  of  which  they  were  unable  to  decipher. 
"Oh,  sir,"  exclaimed  Katharine,  when  the  high-chamberlain 
entered  the  room,  "tell  us  the  meaning  of  this — what  did  the 
lady  write  here?" 

M.  von  Schladen  stepped  to  the  window.  When  he  had 
read  the  lines,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  profound  emotion 
was  depicted  in  his  features.  "  Enviable  inmates  of  this 
humble  cottage,"  he  said,  "from  this  hour  it  has  become  a 
precious  monument,  and,  when  better  times  arrive,  the  Ger- 
mans will  make  a  pilgrimage  to  this  spot  to  gaze  with  devout 
eyes  at  this  historical  relic  of  the  days  of  adversity.  Preserve 
the  window  carefully,  for  I  tell  you  it  is  worth  more  than  gold 
and  diamonds." 

"  Is  it  really,  then,  an  exorcism  which  the  beautiful  fairy 
has  written  there?"  asked  Katharine,  anxiously. 


172  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Yes,  those  are  magic  words,"  replied  M.  von  Schladen, 
"  and  they  read  as  follows : 

'  Who  never  ate  his  bread  with  tears — 

Who  never  in  the  sorrowing  hours 
Of  night  lay  sunk  in  gloomy  fears — 
He  knows  ye  not,  O  heavenly  powers  ! ' "  * 

"Ah,  she  ate  her  bread  with  tears  to-day.  I  saw  it,"  mur- 
mured Katharine.  "  But  who  is  she,  and  what  is  her  name? 
Tell  us,  so  that  we  may  pray  for  her,  sir." 

"Her  name  is  Louisa,"  said  M.  von  Schladen,  in  a  trem- 
ulous voice.  "  At  present  she  is  a  poor,  afflicted  woman,  who 
is  fleeing  from  town  to  town  from  her  enemy,  and  eating  her 
bread  with  tears,  and  weeping  at  night.  But  she  is  still  the 
Queen  of  Prussia,  and  will  remain  so  if  there  be  justice  in 
heaven!" 

"The  Queen  of  Prussia!"  cried  Katharine,  holding  up  her 
hands  in  dismay.  "  She  was  here  and  wrote  that?" 

"  Yes,  she  wrote  that,  and  sends  this  to  you  as  a  reward  for 
your  trouble,"  said  M.  von  Schladen,  emptying  the  contents 
of  the  purse  on  the  table.  The  purse  itself  he  placed  in  his 
bosom.  Without  waiting  for  the  thanks  of  the  surprised 
woman,  he  departed,  vaulted  into  the  saddle,  and  followed 
the  queen  at  a  full  gallop. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

COUNT    BUCKLER. 

PERFIDY  and  treachery  everywhere!  Magdeburg,  Kiistrin, 
the  most  important  fortresses  of  Prussia,  had  fallen.  Not 
only  the  hand  of  the  triumphant  conqueror  had  brought 
about  their  downfall,  but  the  timidity  and  cowardice  prevail- 
ing among  the  Prussians  themselves.  Magdeburg,  although 
abundantly  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  garrisoned  by 
more  than  ten  thousand  men,  had  surrendered.  Kiistrin, 
Hameln,  and  a  large  majority  of  the  other  fortresses,  had 
voluntarily  capitulated,  almost  without  a  show  of  resistance, 
on  receiving  the  first  summons  to  surrender;  the  first  cities  of 

*  "  Wer  nie  sein  Brot  mit  Thranen  ass, 

Wer  nie  die  kummervollen  Nachte 
Auf  seinem  Bette  weinend  sass, 
Der  kennt  euch  nicht,  Ihr  himmlischen  Machte." 

GOTHE. 


COUNT  PUCKLER.  173 

Prussia  were  now  French ;  the  French  were  lawgivers  every- 
where, and  the  humiliated  Prussians  had  to  bow  to  the  scorn- 
ful arrogance  of  the  victors. 

Still,  there  were  at  this  time  of  sorrow  and  disgrace  shining 
examples  of  courage,  of  bold  energy,  and  unwavering  fidelity — 
there  were  fortresses  that  had  not  voluntarily  opened  their 
gates  to  the  enemy,  and  that,  regardless  of  hunger  and  priva- 
tion, were  struggling  bravely  for  honor  and  victory.  As  yet 
Colberg  had  not  fallen;  this  fortress  was  courageously  de- 
fended by  Scharnhorst,  the  skilful  and  experienced  colonel, 
by  bold  Ferdinand  von  Schill,  and  that  noble  citizen,  Nettel- 
beck,  who  by  word  and  deed  fired  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers 
and  citizens  to  persist  in  their  patient  resistance  and  in  the 
determined  defence  of  the  place. 

Graudenz  had  not  surrendered  to  the  besieging  forces.  The 
commander  of  this  fortress,  M.  de  Courbieres,  had  not  yielded 
either  to  the  threats  or  the  flatteries  of  the  enemy.  "  If  it  be 
true, "as  you  assure  me,  that  there  is  no  longer  a  King  of  Prus- 
sia, I  am  King  of  Graudenz,  and  shall  not  surrender,"  he 
replied  to  the  bearer  of  the  French  flag  of  truce,  who  sum- 
moned him  in  the  name  of  the  Duke  de  Rovigo  to  capitulate. 

Silesia  also  had  remained  faithful,  notAvithstandiug  the  ac- 
tion of  Minister  Count  Hoym,  who,  in  a  public  manifesto,  had 
called  upon  the  Silesians  to  meet  the  foe  in  the  most  amicable 
manner  in  ease  of  an  invasion,  and  to  satisfy  as  much  as  pos- 
sible all  the  demands  of  the  hostile  troops.  The  Silesians, 
more  courageous  and  resolute  than  their  minister,  were  un- 
willing to  bend  their  neck  voluntarily  under  the  French  yoke; 
they  preferred  to  struggle  for  their  honor  and  independence. 
It  is  true,  the  fortress  of  Glogau  had  fallen,  but  Breslau  and 
Schweidnitz  were  still  holding  out.  Twice  had  Breslau  re- 
pulsed Jerome  Bonaparte  with  his  besieging  troops — twice 
had  the  determination  of  the  courageous  in  the  place  tri- 
umphed over  the  anxiety  of  the  timid  and  of  the  secret  friends 
of  the  French.  At  the  head  of  these  bold  defenders  of  Bres- 
lau was  a  man  whose  glorious  example  in  the  hour  of  danger 
had  inspired  all — infused  courage  into  the  timid,  and  brought 
comfort  to  the  suffering.  This  man  was  Count  Frederick  von 
Pilckler.  He  did  not  take  time  to  recover  from  the  wounds 
he  had  received  in  Jena.  Faithful  to  his  oath,  he  devoted  his 
services  to  his  country,  that  stood  so  much  in  need  of  its  sons. 
After  a  short  repose  on  his  estate  at  Gimmel,  he  repaired  to 
the  headquarters  of  King  Frederick  William  at  Ortelsburg. 


174  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

It  is  true,  he  could  not  bring  him  a  regiment,  or  any  material 
help ;  still  he  was  able  to  assist  him  with  his  ideas,  and  to 
show  him  the  means  of  obtaining  efficacious  help. 

Count  Frederick  von  Piickler  believed  the  king  might  de- 
rive assistance  from  the  military  resources  of  Silesia.  He 
described  to  him,  in  ardent  and  eloquent  words,  the  extensive 
means  of  defence  retained  by  this  rich  province ;  he  assured 
him  its  inhabitants  were  faithful  and  devoted,  and  ready  to 
shed  their  blood  for  their  king.  He  told  his  majesty,  freely 
and  honestly,  that  the  old  civil  and  military  bureaucracy  alone 
was  to  blame — that  Silesia  had  not  long  an  organized  effective 
system  of  resistance — that  this  government  had  paralyzed  the 
patriotic  zeal  of  the  citizens,  instead  of  stimulating  it — 
nay,  that,  by  means  of  its  insensate  and  ridiculous  decrees, 
it  had  impeded  in  every  way  the  development  of  the  military 
resources  of  the  province.  He  had  not  come,  however,  merely 
to  find  fault  and  to  accuse,  but,  in  spite  of  his  sickness  and 
his  wounds,  performed  the  long  journey  to  the  king's  head- 
quarters in  order  to  indicate  to  his  sovereign  the  remedies  by 
which  the  mischief  might  be  counteracted,  and  the  country 
preserved  from  utter  subjugation.  He  communicated  a  plan 
by  which  new  forces  might  be  raised,  and  be  enabled  to  take 
the  field  in  a  few  days.  All  the  old  soldiers  were  to  be  re- 
called into  the  service ;  the  forest-keepers  and  their  assistants 
were  to  be  armed,  and  from  these  elements  the  landwehr  was 
to  be  organized,  and  intrusted  with  the  special  task  of  de- 
fending the  fortresses. 

The  king  listened  to  the  ardent  and  enthusiastic  words  of 
the  count  with  growing  interest,  and  finally  Piickler's  joyful 
confidence  and  hopeful  courage  filled  him  also  with  hope  and 
consolation. 

"  You  believe  then  that  we  could  really  obtain,  by  these 
new  levies,  brave  troops  for  the  defence  of  the  fortress?" 
asked  he. 

"  I  am  convinced  of  it,"  replied  Count  Piickler.  "  Ardent 
love  for  their  fatherland  and  their  king  is  glowing  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Silesians,  and  they  will  be  ready  when  called 
upon  to  defend  the  fortresses.  Hitherto,  however,  nobody 
has  thought  of  appealing  to  the  able-bodied  men.  Count 
Hoym  has  retired  to  the  most  remote  part  of  Silesia,  and  is 
now  wandering  about  from  city  to  city.  The  military  gov- 
ernor of  Silesia,  General  Lindener,  visited  all  the  fortresses 
and  told  their  commanders  that  every  thing  was  lost — that  it 


COUNT  PUCKLER.  175 

only  remained  for  them  to  protect  themselves  against  a  coup 
de  main,  so  as  to  obtain  good  terms  on  their  surrender." 

The  king  started  up,  and  an  angry  blush  mantled  his  face 
for  a  moment.  "  If  he  said  that,  he  is  an  infamous  scoun- 
drel, who  ought  to  lose  his  head  !"  he  exclaimed,  vehemently. 

Count  Piickler  smiled  mournfully.  "Alas!"  he  said,  "your 
majesty  would  have  to  sign  many  death-warrants  if  you  punish 
in  these  days  of  terror  all  who  are  wavering  because  their  faith 
and  hopes  are  gone.  Possibly,  only  an  admonishing,  soul- 
stirring  word  may  be  required  to  invigorate  the  timid,  and  to 
encourage  the  doubtful.  Sire,  utter  such  a  word!  Send  me 
back  with  it  to  Silesia!  Order  the  governor  to  accept  the 
propositions  which  I  had  the  honor  to  lay  before  your  maj- 
esty, and  which  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  write  down  in 
this  paper,  and  instruct  him,  in  accordance  with  them,  to 
garrison  the  fortresses  with  fresh  defenders.  Oh,  your  maj- 
esty, all  Silesia  is  yearning  for  her  king;  she  is  longingly 
stretching  out  her  hands  toward  you ;  permit  her  to  fight  for 
you!" 

"  You  imagine,  then,  that  Schweidnitz,  and,  above  all, 
Breslau,  in  that  case,  would  be  able  to  hold  out?"  asked  the 
king. 

"  I  do  not  imagine  it,  I  am  convinced  of  it!"  exclaimed  the 
count.  "I  pledge  my  life  that  it  is  so;  I  say  that  Breslau, 
permitted  to  defend  itself,  would  be  impregnable ;  I  am  so 
well  satisfied  of  it  that  I  swear  to  your  majesty  that  I  will  die 
as  a  traitor  if  I  should  be  mistaken.  Sire,  send  me  to  Breslau— 
permit  me  to  participate  in  the  organization  of  the  new  levies, 
and  to  arouse  the  zeal  and  energy  of  the  authorities,  and  I 
swear  to  your  majesty  the  Silesian  fortresses  shall  be  saved!" 

"  Well,  then,  I  take  you  at  your  word,"  said  the  king,  nod- 
ding kindly  to  the  count.  "  I  will  send  you  to  Breslau. 
Wait;  I  will  immediately  draw  up  the  necessary  orders." 
The  king  went  to  his  desk  and  hastily  wrote  a  few  lines. 
Count  Piickler  stood  near  him,  and  smilingly  said  to  him- 
self, "I  will  defend  Breslau  as  Schill  is  defending  Colberg! 
Both  of  us,  therefore,  will  fulfil  the  oath  we  have  taken!" 

"Read!"  said  the  king,  handing  him  the  paper — "read  it 
aloud!"  Count  Piickler  read: 

"  The  enclosed  proposition  of  Count  Piickler  to  ref-n  force  the 
garrisons  of  the  Silesian  fortresses  deserves  the  most  serious  and 
speedy  consideration.  Hence,  I  order  you  to  carry  it  out  with- 
out delay,  and  to  save  no  expense  in  doing  so.  The  fortresses 


176  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

must  be  defended  at  any  price,  and  to  the  last  man,  and  I  shall 
cause  such  commanders  to  be  beheaded  as  fail  to  do  their  duty. 

"FREDERICK  WILLIAM." 

"Are  you  satisfied?"  asked  the  king,  when  the  count  had 
finished. 

"I  thank  your  majesty  in  the  name  of  Silesia,"  said  the 
count,  solemnly.  "  Breslau  will  not  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  I  pledge  you  my  head  that  it  will  not.  I  now 
request  your  majesty  to  let  me  withdraw." 

"When  do  you  intend  to  set  out?" 

"  This  very  hour." 

"  But  you  told  me  you  had  arrived  only  an  hour  ago.  Yon 
ought  to  take  rest  till  to-morrow." 

"  Your  majesty,  every  day  of  delay  exposes  your  Silesia  to 
greater  dangers.  Permit  me,  therefore,  to  set  out  at  once." 

"  Well,  do  so,  and  may  God  be  with  you!" 

The  king  gazed  after  the  count  with  a  long,  musing  glance. 
"Oh, "he  sighed,  mournfully,  "if  he  had  been  commander 
of  Magdeburg,  it  would  be  mine  still !" 

Count  Piickler  hastened  back  to  Silesia  with  the  king's 
written  order.  He  visited  all  the  fortresses  and  saw  all  the 
commanders.  The  king,  to  give  more  weight  to  the  count's 
mission,  had  instructed  the  provisional  authorities  and  the 
chief  executive  officers  of  the  districts,  in  a  special  rescript, 
to  gather  the  old  soldiers  at  the  headquarters  of  the  recruiting 
stations;  he  had  ordered  all  the  commanders  to  confer  person- 
ally with  Count  Piickler  as  to  the  best  steps  to  be  taken  for 
the  defence  of  the  fortresses,  by  the  addition  of  the  new  sol- 
diers and  riflemen  to  the  regular  garrisons. 

Count  Piickler,  therefore,  had  accomplished  his  purpose; 
he  was  able  to  assist  his  countoy  and  to  avenge  himself  for  the 
disastrous  day  of  Jena.  A  proud  courage  animated  his  heart; 
his  eye  was  radiant  with  joy  and  confidence;  his  face  was 
beaming  with  heroic  energy.  All  who  saw  him  were  filled 
with  his  own  courage;  all  who  heard  him  were  carried  away 
by  his  enthusiasm,  and  gladly  swore  to  die  rather  than  prove 
recreant  to  the  sacred  cause  of  the  country.  Every  one  in 
Breslau  knew  Count  Piickler,  and  confided  in  him.  Always 
active,  joyous,  and  indefatigable,  he  was  to  be  found  wherever 
there  was  danger;  he  encouraged  the  soldiers  by  standing  at 
their  side  on  the  outworks,  by  toiling  with  them,  and  expos- 
ing himself  to  the  balls  which  the  enemy  was  hurling  into  the 
city.  He  maintained  the  enthusiasm  of  the  citizens  by  patri- 


COUNT  PUCKLER.  177 

otic  speeches,  so  that  they  did  not  despair,  but  bore  their 
sufferings  patiently,  and  provided  compassionately  for  the  men 
standing  on  the  ramparts  in  the  storm  and  cold,  in  the  face 
of  an  uninterrupted  artillery-fire.  A  generous  rivalry  sprang 
up  among  the  citizens  and  soldiers:  the  former  contributed 
all  they  had  to  provide  the  troops  with  food  and  comforts  of 
every  description ;  and  the  latter  vowed  in  their  gratitude  to 
fight  as  long  as  there  was  a  drop  of  blood  in  their  veins,  and 
not  suffer  the  inhabitants,  in  return  for  the  privations  they 
had  undergone,  and  for  the  sacrifices  they  had  made,  to  be 
surrendered  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  enemy.  But  this 
enthusiasm  at  last  cooled.  Every  one  would  have  borne  days 
of  privation  and  suffering  courageously  and  joyously  enough, 
but  long  weeks  of  anxiety  and  distress  deadened  the  devotion 
of  the  besieged. 

"Every  thing  is  going  on  satisfactorily,"  said  Count  Piick- 
ler,  on  coming  to  the  governor  of  the  fortress,  General  Thile, 
on  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  December.  "  We  shall  hold 
out  till  the  Prince  von  Pless,  who  has  lately  been  appointed 
by  the  king  governor -general  of  Silesia,  arrives  with  his  troops 
to  succor  us  and  to  raise  the  siege  of  Breslau." 

The  governor  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  There  will  be  no 
succor  for  us,  and  every  thing  will  turn  out  wrong,"  he  said. 

"  But  the  soldiers  are  faithful,  and  the  citizens  do  not  waver 
as  yet. " 

The  governor  looked  almost  compassionately  at  the  count. 
"You  see  none  but  the  faithful,  and  hear  none  but  the  un- 
daunted," he  said.  "I  will  show  you  the  reverse  of  your 
bright  medal!"  He  took  a  paper  from  his  desk  and  beckoned 
the  count  to  approach.  "  Just  look  at  this;  it  is  the  morning 
report.  Do  you  want  to  know  how  many  soldiers  deserted 
last  night?  Over  a  hundred,  and  in  order  to  put  a  stop  to 
further  desertions,  the  countersign  had  to  be  changed  three 
times. " 

"The  deserters  are  the  perfidious,  treacherous  Poles!"  ex- 
claimed Piickler,  angrily. 

"  Yes,  the  Poles  were  the  first  to  desert,  and,  unfortunately, 
more  than  half  the  garrison  consists  of  Poles.  They  are  the 
old  soldiers  who  were  organized  in  accordance  with  your 
proposition,  my  dear  count.  They  are  yearning  for  home, 
and  long  to  obtain,  in  place  of  the  scanty  rations  they  receive 
here,  the  fleshpots  which  the  Emperor  Napoleon  has  promised 
to  happy  Poland." 


178  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  But  they  need  not  starve  here ;  they  are  provided  with 
sufficient  food,"  exclaimed  Piickler.  "Only  yesterday  I  saw 
a  subscription-paper  circulating  among  the  citizens  for  the 
purpose  of  raising  money  to  furnish  the  men  on  duty  on  the 
ramparts  with  meat,  whiskey,  and  hot  beer." 

"  How  many  had  signed  it?" 

"  More  than  a  hundred,  general. " 

"Well,  I  will  show  you  another  subscription-paper,"  said 
the  governor,  taking  it  from  his  desk.  "  A  deputation  of  the 
citizens  were  here  last  night  and  presented  this  to  me.  It 
contains  a  request  to  give  them,  amidst  so  many  sufferings, 
the  hope  of  speedy  succor,  lest  they  be  driven  to  despair. 
Over  two  hundred  signed  this  paper.  I  could  not  hold  out 
any  hopes,  and  had  to  dismiss  them  without  any  consolation 
whatever." 

"But  succor  will  come,"  exclaimed  Piickler. 

"It  will  not  come,"  said  the  governor,  shrugging  his 
shoulders. 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened,  and  an  orderly  entered. 
"  Lieutenant  Schorlemmer,  in  command  of  the  forces  at  the 
Schweidnitz  Gate,  sent  me  here,"  he  said.  "  He  instructed  me 
to  inform  the  governor  that  the  firing  of  field  and  siege  artil- 
lery was  to  be  heard,  and  the  village  of  Diirgoy  was  burning!" 

"  The  enemy  is  manoeuvring,  and,  no  doubt,  set  the  village 
unintentionally  on  fire.  Tell  Lieutenant  Schorlemmer  that 
is  my  reply." 

No  sooner  had  the  orderly  withdrawn  than  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  engineers  entered  the  room.  "  Your  excel- 
lency," he  exclaimed,  hastily,  "I  have  just  come  from  the 
Ohlau  Gate.  The  enemy  is  hurrying  with  his  field-pieces  and 
many  troops  from  the  trenches  toward  the  Schweidnitz  road, 
and  the  firing  that  began  an  hour  ago  is  gradually  approach- 
ing the  fortress." 

"  The  succoring  troops  are  drawing  near,"  exclaimed  Count 
Piickler,  joyfully.  "  The  Prince  von  Pless  at  the  head  of  his 
regiments  has  attacked  the  enemy!" 

The  governor  cast  an  angry  glance  on  the  rash  speaker. 
"  It  is  true  you  know  all  these  things  a  great  deal  better  than 
old,  experienced  soldiers  "  he  said;  "you  will  permit  me, 
however,  to  be  guided  by  my  own  opinion.  Now,  I  think 
that  the  enemy  is  only  manoeuvring  for  the  purpose  of  decoy- 
ing the  garrison  from  the  city.  We  shall  not  be  so  foolish, 
however,  as  to  be  caught  in  such  a  manner.  But  I  will  go 


COUNT  PUCKLER.  179 

and  satisfy  myself  about  this  matter.  Come,  Mr.  Chief-Engi- 
neer, and  accompany  me  to  the  Ohlau  Gate.  And  you,  Count 
Puckler,  go  to  General  Lindener  to  ascertain  his  opinion. 
He  has  good  eyes  and  ears,  and  if  he  view  the  matter  in  the 
same  light  as  I  do,  I  shall  be  convinced  that  we  are  right." 

Count  Puckler  hastened  away,  and  while  the  governor,  with 
the  chief-engineer,  was  walking  very  leisurely  to  the  Ohlau 
Gate,  Puckler  rushed  into  the  house  of  General  Lindener,  de- 
termined to  make  the  utmost  efforts  to  induce  the  governor  to 
order  a  sally  of  the  garrison.  But  General  Liudener  had 
already  left  his  palace  and  gone  to  the  Taschen  bastion  for 
the  purpose  of  making  his  observations.  Count  Puckler  fol- 
lowed him  ;  he  could  make  but  slow  headway,  for  the  streets 
were  densely  crowded ;  every  one  was  inquiring  why  the  enemy 
had  suddenly  ceased  shelling  the  city. 

Count  Puckler  rushed  forward  toward  the  Taschen  bastion, 
and  the  constantly  increasing  multitude  followed  him.  Gen- 
eral Lindener  stood  amidst  the  superior  officers  on  the  rampart 
of  the  Taschenberg.  He  was  scanning  the  horizon  with 
scrutinizing  glances.  The  officers  now  looked  at  him  in  great 
suspense,  and  now  at  the  open  field  extending  in  front  of 
them.  Count  Puckler  approached,  while  the  people,  who 
had  almost  forcibly  obtained  admission,  advanced  to  the  brink 
and  surveyed  the  enemy's  position.  The  crowd,  however, 
did  not  consist  of  vagabond  idlers,  but  of  respectable  citizens — • 
merchants  and  mechanics — who  wished  for  the  consolation 
the  governor  had  refused  them — the  hope  of  succor!  Grad- 
ually their  care-worn  faces  lighted  up.  They  saw  distinctly 
that  the  enemy  had  left  the  trenches.  Here  and  there  they 
descried  straggling  French  soldiers  running  in  the  direction 
of  the  fight  in  front  of  the  fortress.  They  heard  the  boom- 
ing of  artillery  and  the  rattling  of  musketry,  and  they  beheld 
the  shells  exchanged  between  the  opposing  troops,  exploding 
in  the  air.  Keen  eyes  discovered  Prussian  cavalry  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Jewish  burial-ground,  near  the  Schweid- 
nitz  suburb,  and  at  this  sight  tremendous  cheers  burst  from 
the  citizens. 

"  Succor  has  come!"  they  shouted.  "  The  Prince  von  1'less 
is  coming  to  deliver  us!" 

All  now  looked  to  the  general,  expecting  he  would  utter 
the  decisive  word,  and  order  the  garrison  to  make  a  sortie. 
But  this  order  was  not  given. 

General    Lindener  turned  with  the  utmost  composure  to 


180  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

his  officers.  "  I  have  no  doubt,"  he  said,  "that  the  enemy  Is 
merely  manoeuvring  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  us  out  of  the 
fortress.  It  is  an  ambush  in  which  we  should  not  allow  our- 
selves to  be  caught. " 

"Your  excellency,"  exclaimed  Piickler,  in  dismay,  "it  is 
impossible  that  you  can  be  in  earnest.  That  is  no  manoeuvre; 
it  is  a  combat.  The  long-hoped-for  succor  has  come  at  last, 
and  we  must  profit  by  it!" 

"Ah,"  said  the  general,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "you 
think  because  his  majesty  permitted  you  to  participate  in 
organizing  the  defence  of  the  city,  and  to  confer  with  the 
commander  in  regard  to  it,  you  ought  to  advise  everywhere 
and  to  decide  every  thing!" 

"No;  I  only  think  that  the  time  for  action  has  come,"  ex- 
claimed Piickler.  "  Opinions  and  suppositions  are  out  of  the 
question  here,  for  we  can  distinctly  see  what  is  going  on  in 
the  front  of  Breslau.  I  beg  the  other  officers  to  state  whether 
they  do  not  share  my  opinion — whether  it  is  not  a  regular 
cannonade  that  we  hear,  and  a  real  fight  between  hostile 
troops  that  we  behold?" 

"Yes,"  said  one  of  the  officers,  loudly  and  emphatically — 
"  yes,  I  am  of  the  same  opinion  as  Count  Piickler ;  there  is  a 
combat  going  on ;  the  Prince  von  Pless  is  approaching  in  order 
to  raise  the  siege." 

"That  is  my  opinion  too!"  exclaimed  each  of  the  officers, 
in  succession;  "the  succoring  troops  have  come;  the  enemy 
has  left  the  trenches  in  order  to  attack  them." 

"And  as  such  is  the  case,"  exclaimed  Count  Piickler,  joy- 
fully, "  we  must  make  a  sortie ;  prudence  not  only  justifies, 
but  commands  it." 

"Yes,  we  must  do  so!"  exclaimed  the  officers.  The  cit- 
izens standing  at  some  distance  from  them  heard  their  words, 
and  shouted  joyously:  "A  sortie,  a  sortie!  Succor  has  come! 
Breslau  is  saved!" 

General  Lindener  glanced  angrily  at  the  officers.  "  Who 
dares  advise  the  commanding  general  without  being  asked?" 
he  said,  sharply.  "  None  of  you  must  meddle  with  these 
matters;  they  concern  myself  alone,  and  I  am  possessed  of 
sufficient  judgment  not  to  need  any  one's  advice,  but  to  make 
my  own  decisions!"  With  a  last  angry  glance  at  Count  Piick- 
ler, he  left  the  bastion  to  return  to  his  palace.  Governor 
Thile  was  awaiting  him  there,  and  the  two  ascended  to  the 
roof  of  the  building  to  survey  the  environs. 


THE  PATRIOT'S  DEATH.  181 

The  fog,  which  had  covered  the  whole  landscape  until  now, 
had  risen  a  little,  and  even  the  dim  eyes  of  the  general  and 
of  the  governor  could  not  deny  the  truth  any  more.  A  com- 
bat was  really  going  on.  The  smoke  rising  from  the  ground, 
and  the  flashes  of  powder  from  field-pieces,  were  distinctly  to 
be  seen.  It  was  a  fact :  succor  was  at  hand :  a  Prussian  corps 
was  approaching  the  city.  The  two  generals  left  the  roof, 
arm-in-arm,  in  silence,  absorbed  in  their  reflections,  and  de- 
scended to  the  ground-floor,  where  a  luncheon  had  been  served 
up  for  them.  An  hour  later,  they  assembled  the  garrison,  in 
order  to  make  an  attack,  "  in  case  the  enemy  should  be 
defeated!" 

But  it  seemed  as  if  the  enemy  had  not  been  defeated.  The 
firing  in  front  gradually  died  away;  the  sally  did  not  take 
place,  and  in  the  evening  the  French  recommenced  throwing 
red-hot  shot  into  the  city. 

"We  have  been  betrayed,"  murmured  the  citizens,  as  they 
despondingly  returned  to  their  homes. 

"  The  general  did  not  want  to  make  a  sortie — he  had  no 
intention  to  save  Breslau,"  groaned  Count  Piickler,  when  he 
was  alone  in  his  room.  "  All  is  lost,  all  is  in  vain !  The 
wish  of  the  timid  sacrifices  our  honor  and  our  lives!  Oh,  my 
unhappy  country,  my  beloved  Prussia,  thou  wilt  irretrievably 
perish,  for  thy  own  sons  are  betraying  thee !  Thy  indepen- 
dence and  ancient  glory  are  gone ;  conquered  and  chained,  thou 
wilt  prostrate  thyself  at  the  feet  of  the  victor,  and  with  scorn 
he  will  place  his  foot  upon  thy  neck,  and  trample  thy  crown 
in  the  dust!  I  shall  not  live  to  see  that  disgrace!  I  will  fulfil 
my  oath,  and,  not  being  able  to  save  my  country,  I  must  die 
with  it!  But  not  yet!  I  will  wait  patiently,  for  there  is  a 
faint  glimmer  of  hope  left.  The  Prince  von  Pless  may  make 
another  attempt  to  raise  the  siege,  and  the  citizens  and  sol- 
diers may  compel  General  Liudener  to  order  an  attack,  and 
not  to  surrender.  That  is  my  last  hope." 


CHAPTER    XXI. 
THE    PATRIOT'S   DEATH. 

GREAT  excitement  reigned  in  the  streets  of  Breslau  on  the 
following  day.  The  people  were  standing  in  dense  groups, 
and  each  of  them,  was  addressed  by  speakers,  who  recapit- 


182  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ulated  the  sufferings  that  had  already  been  undergone,  and 
the  agony  in  store  for  them  if  the  city  should  persist  in  its 
resistance. 

"  Who  will  dare  to  resist  the  Emperor  Napoleon  and  his 
army?"  exclaimed  one.  "  We  were  audacious  enough  to  do 
so,  and  what  has  become  of  us!  Our  houses  liave  been  de- 
molished— our  money  is  gone — our  sons,  brothers,  and  fathers, 
have  been  crippled  or  killed !  When  Napoleon  once  stretches 
out  his  hand  toward  a  country,  and  says,  'I  will  have  it!'  it 
is  useless  to  resist  him,  for  he  always  accomplishes  what  he 
intends.  God  or  the  devil  has  given  him  the  power  to  do  so!" 

"  Why  torment  ourselves  by  further  efforts?"  cried  another. 
"  We  shall  have  to  submit.  Heaven  itself  is  against  us.  See 
the  ice-crust  on  the  Oder.  This  cold  weather  is  a  fresh  ally 
of  the  French!  So  soon  as  the  Oder  and  the  ditches  are 
firmly  frozen  over,  they  will  cross,  and  take  the  city  by  as- 
sault. Of  course,  we  shall  be  required  again  to  risk  our  lives 
in  breaking  the  ice  amid  bullets  and  shells.  The  only  ques- 
tion is,  whether  you  will  do  so." 

"  No !  no !"  shouted  the  crowd.  "  We  have  suffered  enough ! 
We  will  neither  break  the  ice  in  the  Oder,  nor  extinguish 
the  numerous  fires.  Too  many  of  our  countrymen  have 
fallen  already;  it  is  time  for  us  to  think  of  saving  the  lives 
that  remain!" 

"No!"  cried  a  powerful  voice — "no!  it  is  time  for  you  to 
think  of  saving  your  honor!" 

"Count  Puckler!"  murmured  the  people,  looking  at  the 
tall,  imperious  man,  who  had  mounted  the  curb-stone  at  the 
corner  of  the  market-place,  and  cast  angry  glances  on  the 
crowd. 

"Will  you  listen  to  me?"  asked  the  count,  almost  implor- 
ingly. 

"Yes,  yes,"  exclaimed  a  hundred  voices,  "we  will  listen  to 
you !"  And  all  approached  and  encircled  him. 

"Now  speak,  count,"  said  one  of  the  men,  standing  closest 
to  him.  "  We  know  that  you  are  a  good  patriot,  and  a  noble 
friend  of  the  people.  Tell  us  what  we  ought  to  do.  Tell  us 
whether  you  think  that  there  is  hope  for  us!" 

"There  is,"  replied  Count  Puckler.  "There  is  hope  of 
succor. " 

"Ah,  succor  will  not  come,"  cried  the  people,  scornfully, 
"and  though  it  should,  the  generals  would  act  again  as  if 
they  could  not  see  any  thing,  keep  the  gates  shut,  and  fail  to 


THE  PATRIOT'S  DEATH.  183 

make  a  sortie.  Speak  of  other  hopes  that  you  think  are  still 
left  to  us,  count!" 

"  Well,  there  is  the  hope  that  the  weather  will  relax — that 
the  Oder  and  the  ditches  will  not  freeze,  and  that  the  enemy, 
consequently,  will  be  unable  to  cross  them.  By  bombard- 
ment alone  Breslau  cannot  be  taken.  Our  fortifications  will 
resist  the  enemy's  artillery  a  long  while;  and,  if  you  do  not 
waver,  but  struggle  on  bravely,  you  may  preserve  to  your  king 
his  most  beloved  province  and  one  of  his  best  fortresses. 
Think  of  the  honor  it  would  reflect  on  you  if  the  whole  Avorld 
should  say:  'The  citizens  of  Breslau  preserved  to  their  king 
the  great  capital  of  Silesia!  During  the  days  of  danger  and 
distress  they  hastened  fearlessly  to  the  ramparts,  not  only  to 
carry  food  and  refreshments  to  the  defenders,  but  to  trans- 
form themselves  into  soldiers,  to  man  the  guns,  and  hurl  balls 
at  the  enemy!' ' 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  will  do  so!  That  will  be  glorious!"  shouted 
the  men,  and  their  eyes  flashed,  and  they  lifted  up  their  arms 
as  if  they  were  grasping  their  swords.  "  Yes,  we  will  march 
out  to  the  ramparts — we  will  become  brave  soldiers,  and  fight 
for  our  city  and  for  our  king!" 

"And  you  will  lose  your  limbs,"  cried  a  sneering  voice  from 
the  crowd ;  "  you  will  be  crippled — die  of  hunger — ruin  your- 
selves and  your  children;  and  it  will  be  in  vain,  after  all! 
You  will  be  unable  to  save  Breslau,  for  the  odds  are  too  great, 
and  we  ourselves  have  already  been  weakened  too  much." 

"Alas,  he  is  right!"  lamented  the  people,  and  those  who 
were  about  to  rush  to  the  walls  stood  still,  and  their  courage 
seemed  to  disappear. 

"No!"  exclaimed  Count  Piickler,  ardently — "no,  he  is  not 
right!  It  is  not  true;  but  even  if  it  were  true  that  we  are 
too  weak  to  hold  out,  would  it  not  be  much  more  honorable 
to  be  buried  under  the  ruins  of  the  city,  than  to  live  in  dis- 
grace and  bow  to  a  new  master?  Think  of  the  shame  of 
Magdeburg;  remember  that  a  cry  of  indignation  was  uttered 
by  the  whole  of  Prussia  at  the  treachery  and  cowardice  of 
that  city!  Citizens  of  Breslau,  do  you  want  to  be  talked  of 
in  the  same  manner?  Do  you  desire  to  act  so  pusillani- 
mous! y  that  your  children  one  day  will  have  to  blush  for  their 
fathers?  Do  you  want  to  behave  so  ignominiously,  that  your 
wives  and  sweethearts  will  deride  you  and  call  you  cowards?" 

"No,  no!"  shouted  the  people.  "We  will  fight — fight  for 
our  honor  and  our  king." 


184  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Clear  the  way!"  cried  loud  and  imperious  voices  at  that 
moment,  and  a  procession  of  over  a  hundred  citizens  marched 
up  Ohlau  Street;  it  was  headed  by  an  old  man  with  flowing 
silvery  hair,  who  held  a  large  folded  paper  in  his  hands. 

The  crowd,  that  hitherto  only  had  had  eyes  and  ears  for 
Count  Piickler,  now  bent  inquiring  glances  on  the  new- 
comers, and  looked  searchingly  and  wonderingly  at  the  old 
man,  whom  every  one  knew  to  be  one  of  the  most  venerable 
and  respectable  citizens  of  Breslau. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Mr.  Ehrhardt?"  asked  many  at  the 
same  time.  "  What  is  the  object  of  your  procession?  What 
is  the  paper  you  hold  in  your  hands?" 

Mr.  Ehrhardt  held  it  up.  "This  paper,"  he  said,  "is  a 
petition  drawn  up  by  the  citizens  who  are  following  me.  In 
it  we  depict  the  sufferings  and  privations  we  have  undergone, 
and  pray  that  a  speedy  end  may  be  put  to  them.  Matters 
cannot  go  on  in  this  way  any  more ;  the  distress  is  too  great ; 
we  have  borne  all  we  can — we  must  think  of  ourselves  for  the 
sake  of  our  wives  and  children.  We  have  done  enough  to 
save  our  honor;  self-preservation  is  also  a  duty.  We  have 
stated  all  this  in  our  petition,  and  are  about  to  take  it  to  the 
city  hall,  in  order  to  deposit  it  there  by  permission  of  the  au- 
thorities, so  that  every  one  may  sign  it.  This  afternoon  it  will 
be  presented  to  the  governor.  Hasten,  then,  to  add  your  sig- 
natures, for  the  more  the  better.  When  the  governor  sees 
that  the  citizens  are  united,  he  will  have  to  comply  with  our 
demands  and  enter  into  a  capitulation.  The  enemy  sent  a 
flag  of  truce  this  morning;  the  bearer,  I  have  been  told,  im- 
poses very  rigo'rous  terms  on  the  commander  of  the  fortress. 
He  threatens  also  that  the  city,  if  it  do  not  surrender  to-day, 
will  be  bombarded  with  red-hot  shot  long  enough  to  set  fire  to 
all  the  buildings.  Come,  my  friends,  let  us  go.  All  good 
and  sensible  citizens  will  sign  this  petition." 

The  procession  moved  on.  Profound  silence  ensued. 
Count  Piickler  was  still  standing  on  the  curb-stone  and  look- 
ing in  breathless  suspense  at  the  people  that,  a  moment  ago, 
had  surrounded  him.  He  saw  now  that  many  left  him  and 
joined  those  marching  to  the  city  hall. 

"  Citizens  of  Breslau !"  he  cried,  in  great  anguish,  pale  with 
grief  and  horror — "citizens  of  Breslau,  think  of  your  honor; 
think  of  the  many  tears  which  the  eyes  of  your  noble  queen 
have  already  shed  for  Magdeburg;  remember  that  your  king 
relies  on  you  and  on  your  love,  and  that  his  gratitude  toward 


THE  PATRIOT'S  DEATH.  185 

you  will  be  boundless  if  you  remain  faithful  now — faithful 
unto  death !  Think  of  the  great  king  who  fought  seven  long 
years  for  you,  and  whose  glory  still  reflects  a  golden  lustre  on 
the  whole  of  Silesia.  Do  not  join  the  timid  and  cowardly. 
Stand  by  me.  Let  us  go  together  to  the  city  hall — let  us  de- 
mand the  petition  that  we  may  tear  it  to  atoms;  then  go  to 
the  governor  and  tell  him  that  he  must  not  capitulate,  but 
resist  till — " 

"Till  we  die  of  hunger?"  cried  a  harsh  voice,  and  a  tall, 
broad-shouldered  man  elbowed  himself  through  the  crowd  and 
walked  up  to  the  count.  "Count  Piickler,"  he  said,  men- 
acingly, "  if  you  continue  talking  about  resistance,  and  other 
nonsense  of  that  kind,  you  are  a  miserable  demagogue,  and 
the  assassin  of  those  who  believe  your  high-sounding  words. — 
Listen  to  me,  citizens  of  Breslau.  I  am  secretary  of  the  com- 
mission of  provisions,  and  do  you  know  whither  I  have  been 
ordered  to  go?  To  the  municipal  authorities!  I  am  taking 
to  them  a  list  of  what  is  still  on  hand.  There  are  in  Breslau 
at  the  present  time  only  twenty  thousand  pounds  of  meat,  and 
the  bakers  and  brewers  have  no  fuel  left.  If  we  do  not  open 
our  gates  to  the  French,  death  by  starvation  will  await  us 
after  to-morrow.  Therefore,  let  all  those  who  do  not  wish  to 
die  of  hunger  hasten  to  the  city  hall  and  sign  the  petition 
that  will  be  deposited  there." 

At  this  moment  a  strange,  hissing  noise  resounded  through 
the  air;  a  glowing  ball  rushed  along  and  penetrated  the  roof 
of  a  house,  from  which  flames  immediately  burst  forth.  A 
second  and  a  third  followed  and  set  fire  to  several  houses  on 
the  market-place. 

"  The  bombardment  is  recommencing!"  howled  the  multi- 
tude. "  They  are  firing  red-hot  shot  again.  Come,  come  to 
the  city  hall!  Let  us  sign  the  petition."  They  hastened  off 
like  game  pursued  by  a  hunter;  fear  lent  wings  to  their  feet, 
and  anxiety  rendered  the  weak  strong,  and  enabled  the  lame 
to  walk. 

Count  Piickler  was  left  alone.  For  a  moment  he  leaned 
pale  and  exhausted  against  the  wall  of  the  house;  large  drops 
of  perspiration  covered  his  brow;  his  cheeks  were  livid,  his 
lips  were  quivering,  and  he  gazed  at  the  city  hall,  the  steps  of 
which  the  crowd  were  ascending  at  that  moment.  "  They  are 
going  to  sign  my  death-warrant,"  he  muttered,  in  a  low  voice. 
He  descended  from  the  curb-stone,  and,  drawing  himself  to 
his  full  height,  walked  slowly  down  the  street.  The  bullets 


186  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

were  whistling  around  him  and  dropping  at  his  side.  He 
quietly  walked  on.  He  reached  the  house  in  which  he  was 
sojourning,  and  ascended  the  stairs  slowly  and  with  dilated 
eyes,  like  a  somnambulist.  He  reached  the  first  landing, 
and  had  turned  already  to  the  second  staircase.  All  at  once 
invisible  influences  seemed  to  stop  his  progress;  his  face  com- 
menced quivering,  his  eyes  sparkled,  and  turned  with  an  ex- 
pression of  unutterable  grief  to  the  door  which  he  was  about 
to  pass.  "  I  must  see  her  once  more,"  he  muttered ;  "  possibly 
she  may  follow  me."  He  pulled  the  bell  vehemently,  and  a 
footman  opened  the  door.  "  Is  my  betrothed  at  home?" 

"  Yes,  count ;  the  young  countess  is  in  her  room ;  her  par- 
ents are  in  the  parlor.  Shall  I  announce  you?" 

"No,  I  will  go  to  her  without  being  announced."  Passing 
the  footman  and  hastening  down  the  corridor,  he  rapped  at 
the  last  door.  Without  waiting,  he  opened  it  and  entered. 

A  joyful  cry  was  heard — a  young  lady  as  lovely  as  a  rose  ran 
toward  him  with  open  arms.  "  Have  you  come  at  last,  dear- 
est? Have  you  really  been  restored  to  me?  Oh,  how  I  have 
been  longing  for  you  all  the  morning — how  my  heart  trembled 
for  you !  With  what  an  agony  of  fear  every  ball  passing  over 
our  house  filled  me,  for  any  one  of  them  might  have  struck 
you !  But  now  I  have  you  back.  I  shall  detain  you  here, 
and  not  let  you  go  any  more.  You  shall  be  like  a  caged  bird. 
Would  that  my  heart  were  the  cage  in  which  I  could  keep 
you!"  She  laid  her  head,  smiling  and  blushing,  on  his  breast 
while  uttering  these  words;  in  the  ardor  of  her  own  joy  she 
had  not  noticed  how  pale,  listless,  and  sad  he  was.  When 
she  raised  her  bright  eyes  to  him,  her  smile  vanished.  "  What 
ails  yon,  my  beloved  ?"  she  asked,  anxiously.  "  What  is  the 
calamity  that  I  see  written  on  your  face?" 

He  took  her  head  between  his  hands  and  looked  long  and 
mournfully  at  her.  "Camilla, "he  said,  in  a  low,  husky 
voice — "  Camilla,  will  you  die  with  me?" 

"Die!"  she  asked  aghast,  disengaging  her  head  from  his 
hands.  "  Why  should  we  die,  Frederick?" 

"  Because  I  do  not  wish  to  live  without  honor,"  he  ex- 
claimed, with  sudden  vehemence.  "  Because  our  misfortunes 
are  so  terrible  that  we  must  escape  from  them  into  the  grave. 
All  is  lost !  Breslau  will  fall,  and  jve  shall  be  obliged  to  pros- 
trate ourselves  at  the  conqueror's  feet !  But  I  will  not,  cannot 
survive  the  disgrace  of  Prussia.  'Victory  or  death!'  was  the 
motto  which  I  once  exchanged  with  Schill.  I  swore  to  him 


THE  PATRIOT'S  DEATH.  187 

to  live  and  die  with  my  country;  I  swore  to  the  king,  if  Brcs- 
lau  fell,  that  I  would  die  the  death  of  a  traitor.  Breslau 
falls;  therefore  I  die!" 

"No,  no,"  exclaimed  Camilla,  clinging  firmly  to  him,  "you 
shall  not  die — you  must  not  die!  You  are  mine;  you  belong 
to  me,  and  I  love  you!  Hitherto  you  have  lived  for  your 
honor  as  a  man — now  live  for  your  heart  and  its  love !  Lis- 
ten to  me,  Frederick !  How  often  have  you  implored  me  to 
accelerate  the  day  of  our  wedding,  and  I  always  refused! 
Well,  I  beseech  you  to-day,  give  me  your  hand !  Let  us  go 
together  to  my  parents,  and  ask  them  to  send  for  a  priest, 
and  let  our  marriage  take  place  to-day.  And  then,  dearest, 
when  the  gates  of  Breslau  open  to  the  enemy,  we  can  find  a 
refuge  at  your  splendid  estate.  The  horrible  turmoil  of  war 
and  the  clashing  of  arms  will  not  follow  us  thither.  There, 
amidst  the  charms  of  peaceful  nature,  let  us  commence  a  new 
life;  with  hearts  fondly  united,  we  shall  belong  only  to  our- 
selves, and,  forgetful  of  the  outside  world,  devote  ourselves  to 
our  friends — to  art  and  literature.  Oh,  my  beloved,  is  it  not 
a  blissful  future  that  is  inviting  you  and  promising  you  un- 
disturbed happiness?"  She  laid  her  arms,  from  which  the 
white  lace  sleeves  had  fallen  back,  on  his  shoulders,  and  held 
her  glowing  face  so  close  to  his  own  that  her  breath  fanned 
his  cheek;  her  ruby  lips  almost  touched  his  own,  and  her  dark 
eyes  were  fixed  on  him  with  an  expression  of  unutterable 
tenderness. 

The  count  pushed  her  back  almost  rudely.  "  The  happi- 
ness you  are  depicting  to  me  is  only  given  to  the  innocent,  to 
the  pure,  and  to  those  who  have  no  desires,"  he  said,  gloomily; 
"  it  is  the  happiness  of  gentle  doves,  not  of  men.  And  I  am 
a  man!  As  a  man  of  honor  I  have  lived,  and  as  such  1  will 
die.  My  life  harmonizes  no  more  with  yours.  Will  you  go 
with  me,  Camilla,  into  the  land  of  eternal  honor  and  liberty? 
Does  not  this  world  of  treachery  and  cowardice  fill  you  with 
disgust  as  it  does  myself?  Does  not  your  soul  shrink  with 
dismay  at  the  infamy  we  behold  everywhere  at  the  present 
time?  Oh,  I  know  your  heart  is  noble  and  pure,  and  despises 
the  baseness  which  is  now  the  master  of  the  world.  Let  us, 
therefore,  escape  from  it.  Come,  dearest,  come!  I  have  two 
pistols  at  my  rooms.  They  are  loaded,  and  will  not  fail  us. 
A  pressure  of  my  finger — and  we  are  free!  Say  one  word, 
and  I  will  bring  them — say,  my  Camilla,  that  you  will  die 
with  me!" 


188  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"I  say  that  I  will  live  with  you!"  she  cried,  in  terror. 

"  Then  you  will  not  die  with  me?"  he  asked,  harshly. 

"No,  Frederick,  why  should  I  die?  I  am  so  young,  and 
love  life ;  it  has  given  me  nothing  but  joy — it  has  given  you 
to  me — you,  whom  I  love,  for  whom  I  will  live,  whom  I  will 
render  happy !  What  do  I  care  for  the  misfortunes  of  Prussia 
— what  do  I  care  whether  Breslau  surrenders  to  the  enemy  or 
not,  while  I  am  free  to  follow  you — free  to  devote  myself  en- 
tirely to  my  love!" 

"A  woman's  heart! — a  woman's  love!"  said  Piickler,  with 
a  contemptuous  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "  I  wish  I  resembled 
you;  we  then  might  be  like  cooing  doves  in  the  myrtle-tree. 
But  my  heart  is  rather  that  of  an  eagle — longing  for  the  sun; 
and  as  he  has  set  on  earth,  I  shall  fly  after  him.  Farewell, 
Camilla,  farewell!  Forget  me  not,  and  be  happy!"  He  im- 
printed a  hasty,  glowing  kiss  on  her  lips,  and  then  turned 
toward  the  door. 

Camilla  rushed  after  him,  and,  clinging  to  him  with  both 
her  hands,  exclaimed :  "  Frederick,  what  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"  I  go  to  the  land  of  liberty,  and  will  do  what  honor  com- 
mands," he  said,  disengaging  himself  from  her  grasp,  and 
rushing  from  the  room. 

"Frederick!  Frederick!"  she  cried,  in  the  utmost  terror, 
running  to  the  door ;  she  could  not  open  it,  for  he  had  locked 
it  outside.  "I  must  follow  and  save  him,"  she  exclaimed, 
and  gliding  across  the  room,  she  opened  a  small  secret  door  in 
the  opposite  wall;  scarcely  touching  the  floor,  she  passed 
through  the  parlor,  without  taking  any  notice  of  her  parents, 
who  were  sitting  on  the  divan,  and  asked  her  in  surprise  for 
the  cause  of  her  hurry  and  agitation.  She  did  not  see  that 
they  were  following  her;  nor  did  she  hear  them  call  her. 
Onward,  onward  she  went  through  the  room  to  the  corridor, 
into  the  hall,  and  up  the  staircase.  She  rushed  to  the  upper 
floor,  and  rang  the  bell  violently,  when  the  footman  of  Count 
Piickler  opened  the  door,  and  stared  surprised  at  the  young 
countess.  She  passed  him  impetuously,  and  ran  down  the 
corridor  leading  into  the  sitting-room  of  her  betrothed.  But 
it  was  locked.  Uttering  a  cry  of  despair,  she  sank  breathless 
on  her  knees,  and  laid  her  burning  forehead  against  the  door. 

The  old  count,  with  his  wife,  followed  by  Count  Piickler's 
footman,  now  approached.  "My  child,  my  child!"  mur- 
mured the  old  countess,  bending  over  her  daughter,  "  what 
has  happened?  Why  are  you  so  pale?  Why  do  you  weep?" 


THE  PATRIOT'S  DEATH.  189 

Camilla  looked  up  to  her  with  streaming  eyes.  "  Mother," 
she  exclaimed,  iu  a  heart-rending  voice,  "  mother,  he  will  kill 
himself!" 

"  Who?"  asked  her  father,  aghast. 

"  My  betrothed,"  she  gasped  faintly.  "  With  a  more  gener- 
ous and  scrupulous  regard  for  his  honor  than  we  are  manifest- 
ing for  ours,  he  will  not  survive  the  disgrace  of  his  country. 
As  Breslau  is  doomed,  he  will  die!  As  I  did  not  care  to  die 
with  him,  he  angrily  repulsed  me,  and  went  up  to  his  room  to 
die  alone.  Oh,  mother,  father,  have  mercy  on  my  anguish ! 
Help  me  to  save  him !" 

"Is  the  count  really  here?"  said  Camilla's  father  to  the 
footman.  "  Is  he  in  this  room?" 

"  Yes,  gracious  count,  my  master  came  home  a  few  minutes 
ago.  Without  saying  a  word,  he  went  to  his  room,  and  locked 
himself  up." 

The  old  count  stepped  to  the  door,  and,  grasping  the  knob, 
shook  it  violently.  "  Count  Piickler,  open  the  door,"  he  cried 
aloud.  "  Your  father-in-law  and  the  mother  of  your  be- 
trothed are  standing  at  your  door,  and  ask  to  be  admitted!" 

"Frederick!  Frederick!"  begged  Camilla,  "I  am  on  my 
knees  in  front  of  your  door-sill,  and  implore  you  to  have 
mercy — to  have  compassion  on  me!  Oh,  do  not  close  your 
heart  against  me — oh,  let  me  come  in,  my  dear  friend!"  She 
paused  and  listened,  hoping  to  hear  a  word  or  a  movement 
inside.  But  every  thing  remained  silent. 

"If  you  refuse  to  listen  to  our  supplications,  we  shall  enter 
by  force,"  exclaimed  the  count. 

"My  son,"  wailed  the  old  countess,  "if  you  will  not  listen 
to  us,  at  least  have  mercy  on  my  daughter,  for  she  will  die  of 
grief  if  you  desert  her." 

"My  Frederick,  I  love  you  so  tenderly — do  not  repel  me!" 
wailed  Camilla. 

All  was  silent.  "I  must  use  force,"  said  the  count,  con- 
cealing his  anguish  under  the  guise  of  anger.  "  Hasten  to  a 
locksmith,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  footman;  "  he  is  to  come 
here  at  once,  and  bring  his  tools  witli  him.  Notify  also  the 
officers  at  the  neighboring  police-station."  The  footman 
withdrew. 

"My  beloved,"  cried  Camilla,  wringing  her  hands,  and  her 
face  bathed  in  a  flood  of  tears,  "  my  Frederick,  I  love  you  bet- 
ter than  my  life!     Your  wish  shall  be  complied  with.      Open 
your  door,  and  admit  me.     If  I  cannot  live  I  will  die  with 
I — MUHLBACII  VOL.  lo 


190  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

you !     Oh,  do  not  remain  silent — give  me  a  sign  that  you  are 
still  living — tell  me  at  least  that  you  forgive  me — that — " 

She  paused,  for  a  song  suddenly  resounded  in  the  room ;  it 
was  not  a  song  of  sorrow,  but  of  wrath  and  manly  courage. 
The  words  were  as  follows : 

"Tod  du  susser,  fur  das  Vaterland  ! 
Siisser  als  der  Brautgruss,  als  das  Lallen 
Auf  dem  Mutterschooss  des  ersten  Kindes, 
Sei  mir  willkommen  1 

Was  das  Lied  nicht  loset,  lost  das  Schwert, 
Blinkend  Heil,  umgiirte  meine  Hiiften, 
Von  der  Schande  kannst  du  Tapfre  retten, 
Zierde  der  Tapfern  1 "  * 

The  voice  died  away.  Camilla  was  on  her  knees,  with 
clasped  hands;  her  parents  stood  behind  her  in  devout  silence. 
Suddenly  noisy  footsteps  drew  near.  At  the  entrance  of  the 
corridor  appeared  the  footman  with  the  locksmith,  who  came 
with  his  tools  to  open  the  door.  The  old  count  made  a  sign 
to  him  to  stand  aloof.  He  had  heard  a  movement  in  the  room, 
and  he  hoped  Camilla's  lover  would  voluntarily  admit  them. 

A  pause  ensued — then  a  terrible  report  was  heard  in  the 
room.  Camilla  uttered  a  loud  shriek,  and  sank  senseless  to 
the  floor. 

An  hour  later,  the  locksmith  succeeded  in  opening  the 
door,  which  had  been  strongly  bolted  inside.  Count  Piickler 
sat  in  the  easy-chair  in  front  of  his  desk,  immovable,  with  his 
face  calm  and  uninjured,  the  pistol  still  in  his  hand.  He  had 
aimed  well.  The  bullet  had  pierced  his  heart.  On  the  desk 
in  front  of  him  lay  a  sheet  of  paper,  containing  the  following 
words: 

"Last  greeting  to  Ferdinand  von  Schill,  who  took  an  oath 
with  me  that  we  would  live  and  die  as  faithful  sons  of  our 
country!  Our  country  is  sinking  ignominiously  into  the 
dust;  I  will  not,  cannot  survive  the  disgrace,  and,  therefore, 
I  die.  Farewell,  you  who  took  that  oath  with  me — farewell 
Schill  and  Staps!  I  hope  you  will  be  happier  than  myself!  I 
am  the  first  of  us  three  who  dies  because  he  despairs  of  his 
country.  Will  you  survive  me  long?  May  God  give  you 
strength  to  do  so !  Farewell  until  we  meet  again ! 

"FEEDERICK  VON  PUCKLER." 

On  the  following  day  the  governor  of  Breslau  commenced 
negotiations  with  the  enemy,  and  on  the  7th  of  January, 
1807,  Breslau  opened  its  gates  to  the  French  troops,  and  the 
Prussian  garrison  laid  down  its  arms. 

*  See  p.  18. 


PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS.  191 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

PEACE    NEGOTIATIONS. 

GENERAL  VON  ZASTROW,  who  had  temporarily  taken  charge 
of  the  Prussian  department  of  foreign  affairs,  was  pacing  his 
room.  His  whole  appearance  was  indicative  of  care  and  anx- 
iety. Whenever  he  passed  the  door  leading  into  the  ante- 
room, he  stood  still  and  listened,  and  then,  heaving  a  sigh 
and  muttering  angry  words,  continued  his  walk.  But  at 
length  it  seemed  as  if  his  expectations  were  to  be  fulfilled;  he 
heard  approaching  steps.  The  door  opened,  and  the  footman 
announced  General  von  Kockeritz. 

General  von  Zastrow  quickly  went  to  meet  his  visitor,  and 
offered  him  both  his  hands.  "  I  thank  your  excellency  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  having  yielded  to  my  urgent  sup- 
plications," he  said,  passionately,  "and  at  the  same  time  I 
beg  your  pardon  for  having  been  so  bold  as  to  request  you  to 
call  upon  me.  But  as  you  reside  in  the  same  house  as  their 
majesties,  and  as  the  king  comes  to  see  you  frequently  and 
unexpectedly,  I  believe  we  can  converse  here  more  freely  and 
without  fear  of  being  disturbed." 

"You  are  right,  my  dear  general,"  said  Kockeritz;  "  it  is 
better  for  us  to  hold  our  little  conferences  at  your  house.  My 
room,  moreover,  has  walls  so  thin  that  every  word  spoker 
there  can  be  heard  outside.  Alas,  it  is  on  the  whole  a  miser- 
able barrack  in  which  the  royal  couple  and  myself  are  obliged 
to  stay  here  in  Memel !  Low,  dark  rooms — no  elegance,  no 
accommodations,  no  comfort.  Every  thing  is  as  narrow, 
gloomy,  and  smoky  as  possible  and  then  this  fearfully  cold 
weather  1  Yesterday,  during  the  heavy  storm,  an  inch  of 
snow  lay  on  the  window-sill  in  the  queen's  room,  and,  I  assure 
you,  it  did  not  melt!  Nevertheless,  her  majesty  is  perfectly 
calm  and  composed ;  she  never  complains,  never  utters  any 
dissatisfaction,  but  always  tries  to  prove  to  the  king  that  she 
likes  Memel  very  well,  and  that  it  is  as  beautiful  a  capital  as 
Berlin." 

"Ah,  my  respected  friend,"  said  General  von  Zastrow, 
mournfully,  "  this  composure  of  the  queen  is  very  injurious 
to  us.  If  she  were  more  melancholy — if  she  bewailed 
her  misfortunes  more  bitterly — if  she  manifested  a  more 
poignant  sorrow,  we  should  not  be  doomed  to  sit  here  on  the 


192  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

extreme  frontier  of  Prussia,  but  might  hope  to  make  our 
triumphal  entry  into  Berlin,  perhaps,  in  two  weeks." 

"Into  Berlin?"  asked  General  von  Kockeritz,  greatly  sur- 
prised. "  Why,  you  are  talking  of  a  miracle  which  I  am  un- 
able to  comprehend." 

"  Oh,  your  excellency  will  understand  it  soon  enough, :>  re- 
plied General  von  Zastrow,  smiling,  "  if  you  will  only  be  so 
kind  as  to  listen  to  me  a  little." 

"  I  assure  you,  my  friend,  I  am  most  anxious  to  hear  your 
explanations;  I  am  burning  with  the  desire  to  know  how  we 
are  to  bring  it  about  to  leave  this  accursed,  cold  Memel,  and 
return  to  Berlin  within  so  short  a  time." 

"Well,  what  is  the  cause  of  our  sojourn  here?"  asked  Gen- 
eral von  Zastrow.  "  What  has  driven  us  hither?  What  has 
deprived  the  king,  our  august  master,  of  his  states,  of  his 
happiness — nay,  almost  of  his  crown?  What  is  the  cause  that 
our  beautiful  and  amiable  queen  has  to  undergo  all  sorts  of 
privations  and  inconveniences,  and  is  compelled  to  reside,  in- 
stead of  in  her  palace  at  Berlin,  in  a  miserable,  leaky  house  in 
Memel,  where  she  is  closer  to  the  Bashkirs  than  to  civilized 
people?  The  war  is  the  cause  of  all  this!" 

"  Yes,  if  my  advice  had  been  followed,  these  calamities 
would  never  have  befallen  us,"  replied  General  von  Kockeritz, 
sighing;  "  we  would  have  remained  on  terms  of  friendship  and 
peace  with  the  great  man  whom  Heaven  has  sent  to  subjugate 
the  world,  and  resistance  against  whom  is  almost  equivalent 
to  blasphemy.  He  frequently  and  magnanimously  offered  us 
his  friendship,  but  at  that  time  more  attention  was  paid 
to  the  vain  boastings  of  the  lieutenants  of  the  guard ;  and 
the  rhodomontades  of  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  unfortunately 
found  an  echo  in  the  heart  of  the  queen.  The  advice  of  older 
and  more  prudent  officers  was  disregarded,  and  the  king,  in 
spite  of  himself,  was  dragged  into  this  war,  which  we  have 
had  to  expiate  by  the  defeats  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt,  and  by 
the  loss  of  so  many  fortresses  and  provinces.  And  who  knows 
what  may  be  in  store  for  us  yet?  Who  knows  what  mischief 
may  yet  threaten  the  crown  and  life  of  Frederick  William !" 

"Well,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  with  a  sarcastic  smile, 
"  it  looks  as  though  the  fortune  of  war  were  now  turning  in 
favor  of  the  Russians.  Think  of  the  great  victories  which 
the  Russian  General  Benningsen  has  already  won.  Did  not 
twenty-four  trumpeting  postilions  proclaim  to  us  at  Konigs- 
berg,  on  new-year's-day,  the  Russian  victory  of  Pultusk?" 


PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS.  193 

"  Yes,  but  those  twenty-four  postilions  and  that  emphatic 
announcement  were  the  most  brilliant  parts  of  the  victory," 
said  General  von  Kockeritz,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  Ben- 
ningsen  was  not  defeated  by  Napoleon  at  Pultusk,  but  honor- 
ably maintained  his  position  on  the  battle-field — that  is  what 
the  whole  amounted  to." 

"  Yes,  but  we  are  celebrating  again  a  great  and  brilliant 
triumph.  On  the  ?th  and  8th  of  February  the  Russian  Gen- 
eral Benuingsen  and  our  General  Lestocq  claim  to  have 
obtained  another  advantage  over  Napoleon  and  his  marshals. 
I  suppose  you  are  aware  that  Benningsen  himself  has  arrived 
here  in  order  to  communicate  the  news  of  the  victory  of  Eylati 
to  the  royal  couple?" 

"Yes,  I  know,"  said  Kockeritz.  "But  I  know  also  what 
this  new  success  really  amounts  to.  The  Russians  are  very 
liberal  in  issuing  victorious  bulletins,  and  if  they  have  not 
been  massacred  in  a  battle  to  a  man,  the  last  ten  survivors 
shout  invariably,  'Victory!  We  have  won  the  battle!'  That 
of  Eylau  is  even  more  problematic  than  that  of  Pultusk. 
Pray  tell  me,  who  held  the  battle-field  of  Eylau?" 

"Napoleon  with  his  French,  of  course." 

"  And  who  retreated  from  Eylau  toward  Konigsberg?" 

"General  Benningseu  with  his  Russians." 

"  And  these  Russians,  nevertheless,  are  audacious  enough  to 
claim  a  victory!"  exclaimed  General  von  Kockeritz.  "  These 
fellows  regard  it  such  when  Napoleon,  instead  of  pressing  them 
on  their  retreat,  remains  where  he  is,  and  gives  them  time  to 
escape." 

"  They  are  in  ecstasies,  because  they  infer  from  this  delay 
of  Napoleon,  and  from  his  unwonted  inactivity,  that  he  also 
stands  in  need  of  repose  and  recreation,"  said  General  von 
Zastrow.  "  The  severe  winter,  bad  quarters,  hunger,  and 
thirst,  have  greatly  exhausted  the  strength  of  the  grand  army, 
and  the  lion  would  like  to  rest  a  little.  For  this  reason — and 
now  I  come  to  the  point  concerning  which  I  requested  your 
excellency  to  call  on  me — for  this  reason,  the  great  Napoleon 
desires  to  make  peace.  The  conqueror  of  Jena  himself  oilers 
it  to  the  vanquished  King  of  Prussia." 

"  What?  Do  you  really  think  that  to  be  true?"  asked 
General  von  Kockeritz. 

"  I  do  not  only  think,  but  know  it  to  be  true,"  said  Zastrow. 
"General  Bertraud  arrived  here  an  hour  ago,  and  called  on 
me  with  the  request  to  present  him  to  the  king,  that  he  might 


194  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

deliver  him  an  autograph  letter  from  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 
I  told  the  general  that  I  should  return  his  visit  in  half  an 
hour,  and  then  conduct  him  to  his  majesty.  I  wished  to 
profit  by  this  half  hour,  my  dear  friend,  to  confer  with  you 
about  this  matter." 

"  And  did  General  Bertrand  inform  you  that  Napoleon 
would  offer  peace  to  our  king?" 

"  Yes,  your  excellency.  He  communicated  to  me  the  con- 
tents of  the  imperial  letter.  The  lion  of  Jena  magnanimously 
offers  once  more  to  make  peace." 

"  We  must  strain  every  nerve  to  induce  the  king  to  accept 
these  overtures,"  exclaimed  Kockeritz,  quickly. 

"  Your  excellency  is  the  only  man  sufficiently  powerful  to 
induce  the  king  to  come  to  such  a  decision,"  said  Zastrow. 
"  You  must  be  so  kind  as  to  prove  to  him  that  to  continue  the 
war  with  France  is  to  bring  about  the  ruin  of  Prussia.  If  he 
does  not  accept  the  offer  of  Napoleon,  he  is  ruined,  for  the 
emperor  would  not  forgive  such  obstinate  hostility ;  and,  if 
Prussia  will  not  live  with  him  on  terms  of  friendship,  he  will 
annihilate  her  in  order  to  be  done  with  her." 

"  I  shall  not  threaten  the  king  by  laying  too  much  stress  on 
the  strength  of  his  enemy,"  said  Kockeritz,  "for  that  would 
wound  the  pride  of  his  majesty,  and  provoke  his  sense  of 
honor  to  renewed  resistance.  But  I  shall  call  his  attention  to 
the  weakness  and  fickleness  of  Russia,  informing  him  that  our 
friends,  the  Russians,  are  behaving  in  the  most  shameful 
manner  in  those  parts  of  Prussia  which  they  are  occupying, 
and  committing  so  many  outrages  that  the  inhabitants  are 
praying  on  their  knees  to  God  to  grant  victory  to  the  French, 
so  that  they  might  deliver  them  from  the  Russians.  I  shall 
tell  him  that  the  distress  and  the  extortions  the  Prussian 
farmers  have  to  suffer  at  the  hands  of  our  allies  are  perfectly 
incredible;  that  the  peasants  in  the  villages  have  been  stripped 
of  every  thing,  to  such  an  extent  that  they  beg  the  Cossacks, 
who  have  robbed  them  of  their  provisions,  for  their  daily 
bread;  that  many  of  them  are  dying  of  hunger,  and  that  un- 
buried  corpses  have  been  found  in  the  houses  of  several  vil- 
lages now  occupied  by  our  troops.  And,  above  all,  I  shall 
beseech  his  majesty  to  repose  no  confidence  in  the  Russian 
friendship!  Whatever  the  czar  may  say  about  his  fidelity,  he 
has  not  the  power  of  carrying  his  point,  and  all  his  resolutions 
will  be  frustrated  by  the  resistance  of  his  generals  and  of  his 
brother.  The  Grand-Duke  Constantine  and  the  larger  and 


PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS.  195 

more  powerful  part  of  the  Russian  nobility  are  anxious  for 
peace;  and  Constantino,  whose  views  are  shared  by  Benning- 
sen,  will  leave  no  intrigues,  no  cabals  untried  in  order  to  gain 
the  czar  over  to  his  opinion,  and  plunge  him  into  difficulties 
from  which  he  will  finally  be  able  to  extricate  himself  only  by 
making  peace — a  peace  concluded  at  the  expense  of  Prussia. 
Russia  and  France  will  be  reconciled  over  the  corpse  of  Prus- 
sia! Even  now  it  is  distinctly  to  be  seen  what  we  have  to 
expect  from  the  czar's  assistance.  Our  allies  are  doing  noth- 
ing really  to  help  us,  but  whatever  steps  they  are  taking  are 
exclusively  for  their  own  safety.  It  is  true,  they  advanced  at 
first,  but  only  in  order  to  prevent  the  French  from  approach- 
ing their  frontier.  Since  that  time,  however,  in  spite  of  the 
battle  of  Pultusk,  the  Russians  have  steadily  retreated, 
although  the  enemy  did  not  compel  them  to  do  so.  They 
accomplished  thus  their  own  purpose,  that  is,  to  devastate  a 
province  of  Prussia,  and  protect  themselves  by  this  desert 
from  a  French  invasion." 

"It  is  true,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  "our  friends  are 
ruining  us  by  a  mere  semblance  of  aid.  If  they  really  were 
honest  and  faithful  allies,  would  they  not  strain  every  nerve 
to  preserve  Dantzic  to  us?  General  Benningsen  did  promise 
to  succor  the  fortress  and  raise  the  siege,  if  Dautzic  held  out 
only  two  months  longer.  But  what  is  he  doing  to  redeem  his 
promise?  Absolutely  nothing!  We  reproached  him  with  his 
inactivity,  and  he  excused  it  by  asserting  that  the  army  would 
first  have  to  be  reenforced.  lie  admits  that  the  fall  of  that 
seaport  would  be  a  great  disaster,  but  refuses  to  do  any  thing 
decisive  for  its  safety.  Therefore,  if  we  do  not  give  up  the 
equivocal  friendship  of  the  Russians — if  we  do  not  now  make 
peace  with  France,  Dantzic  will  be  lost,  and  Colberg  and 
Graudenz  will  likewise  fall,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  their 
heroic  defenders,  Schill  and  Colomb.  Oh,  I  beg  you  induce 
the  king  to  accept  the  peace  if  the  terms  offered  to  him  be  not 
utterly  inadmissible.  These  Russians  will  never  deliver  us. 
Suppose  even  another  general  than  Benningsen,  and  better 
disposed  than  he,  should  advance  after  his  so-called  victories 
in  the  same  manner  as  Benningsen  is  retreating  now,  he  would 
restore  to  us  no  state,  only  a  desert.  The  king  ought  to  be- 
lieve us  that  they  are  utterly  unwilling  to  render  us  assistance, 
and  that  they  only  intend  devastating  our  country  in  order  to 
protect  themselves.  Whatever  the  noble  and  generous  Em- 
peror Alexander  may  order,  it  is  certain  that  nothing  will  bo 


196  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

done.  Even  though  we  should  protest  and  clamor  against  it 
in  the  most  heart-rending  manner,  we  should  be  unable  to 
bring  about  a  change." 

"  But  should  we  succeed  in  convincing  the  king,"  said  Gen- 
eral von  Kockeritz,  "  how  are  we  to  persuade  the  queen?  Her 
heart,  otherwise  so  gentle  and  generous,  is  filled  with  hatred 
against  Napoleon,  and  she  believes  in  the  friendship  of  the 
Russian  emperor." 

"  Will  you  take  it  upon  yourself,  your  excellency,  to  per- 
suade the  king  to  make  peace  with  France?" 

"I  believe  I  shall  be  able  to  do  it,"  said  General  von 
Kockeritz,  after  a  brief  reflection. 

"  Well,  for  my  part,  I  undertake  to  persuade  the  queen  to 
acquiesce,  at  least  in  silence,  and  not  advocate  so  warmly  the 
alliance  with  Eussia." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  by  what  charm  you  intend  to  ac- 
complish such  a  miracle." 

"  By  a  very  simple  one,  your  excellency.  I  shall  cause  my 
niece,  the  Countess  von  Truchsess,  who  is  not  merely  lady  of 
honor,  but  also  reader  to  the  queen,  to  read  to  her  majesty 
the  last  numbers  of  the  Berlin  Telegraph,  which  I  have  just 
received.  This  seems  like  a  riddle,  but  it  is  not.  That  jour- 
nal contains  charges  against  the  queen,  which,  it  appears  to 
me,  render  it  impossible  for  her  to  declare  so  loudly  and  pub- 
licly in  favor  of  a  continued  alliance  with  the  Russian  em- 
peror. Her  majesty,  therefore,  must  be  informed  of  the 
contents  of  those  articles;  she  must  know  in  what  sense  pub- 
lic opinion — or,  if  you  prefer,  the  wicked  world — is  interpret- 
ing her  enthusiasm  for  the  Russian  alliance.  She  must  learn 
it  this  very  hour,  that,  at  this  momentous  crisis,  she  may  not 
try  to  stem  the  tide  of  events.  We  must  tie  her  hands  in 
order  to  prevent  her  from  destroying  the  work  we  are  taking 
so  much  pains  to  accomplish.  While  your  excellency  goes  to 
the  king  in  order  to  take  his  heart  by  storm  with  your  con- 
vincing eloquence,  and  I  am  afterward  conducting  General 
Bertrand  to  his  majesty  (to  whom  he  will  present  the  pacific 
overtures  and  the  autograph  letter  from  Napoleon),  my  niece, 
the  Countess  von  Truchsess,  will  read -to  the  queen  the  articles 
published  in  the  Telegraph,  and  if  the  king  should  really  hes- 
itate, and  desire  to  hear  the  opinion  of  his  wife,  she,  in  her 
just  indignation,  will  assuredly  not  advocate  his  cause  for 
whose  sake  she  has  to  bear  the  slanders  of  the  public  press." 

"Heaven  grant  that  you  may  be  a  true  prophet,  general!" 


THE  SLANDEROUS  ARTICLES.  197 

said  Kockeritz,  heaving  a  sigh.  "  The  queen,  however,  is  so 
magnanimous  that  she  might  even  overlook  her  personal 
wrongs,  and  the  slanders  heaped  on  her,  if  she  thought  the 
welfare  of  the  country  was  at  stake.  I  believe  she  esteems  the 
honor  of  Prussia  even  higher  than  her  own,  and  in  case  she 
should  believe  the  former  to  be  endangered,  would  be  willing 
to  sacrifice  herself." 

"  I  believe  your  excellency  is  mistaken,  so  far  as  that  is 
concerned,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  smiling.  "  The  wife 
of  Frederick  William,  aside  from  being  a  high-minded  queen, 
is  a  woman  who  has  the  utmost  regard  for  her  reputation  and 
virtue,  and  who,  for  the  sake  of  her  husband  and  children, 
would  not  suffer  a  breath  of  suspicion  upon  her  honor.  Well, 
we  shall  see  whether  you  are  right  or  not.  It  is  high  time 
for  us  to  go  to  work.  As  you  have  promised  me  your  assist- 
ance, I  am  quite  hopeful,  and  believe  we  shall  succeed  in 
restoring  peace  to  poor  tormented  Prussia.  Go,  then,  your 
excellency,  to  perform  your  part;  I  will  go  to  the  Countess 
von  Truchsess,  to  bring  her  the  newspapers,  and  then  it  will 
be  high  time  to  conduct  General  Bertram!  to  the  king. 
Well,  Heaven  bless  us  all,  and  cause  Prussia  to  make  peace  at 
last  with  the  Corsican  lion!" 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    SLANDEROUS    ARTICLES. 

QUEEN  LOUISA  was  in  her  cabinet,  engaged  in  reading  the 
letters  and  journals  brought  by  the  courier,  who  had  just  ar- 
rived from  Berlin.  She  glanced  hastily  over  the  papers,  and 
then  turned  to  the  letters  that  lay  unopened  before  her.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  small  table,  standing  in  front  of  the 
divan,  sat  the  young  Countess  von  Truchsess,  who  was  occu- 
pied in  arranging  the  journals.  The  queen  meantime  was 
reading  her  letters;  during  the  perusal  her  features  lighted 
up  more  and  more,  and  a  delicate  blush  mantled  her  pale 
cheeks. 

Louisa  had  but  just  recovered  from  a  severe  and  dangerous 
illness,  which  had  attacked  her  soon  after  her  arrival  at 
Konigsberg.  The  suffering  which  her  courageous  soul  was 
enduring  with  so  much  constancy  and  heroism  had  under- 
mined her  body;  weaker  than  her  mind,  it  had  succumbed  to 


198  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  burden  of  her  grief.  A  nervous  fever  had  confined  her  to 
her  bed  for  weeks;  it  had  afforded  her  at  least  some  con- 
solation by  rendering  her  unconscious  of  misfortune,  and 
causing  her,  in  her  delirious  moments,  to  live  again  through 
the  joyful  days  of  the  past.  While  she  was  dreaming  and  be- 
lieving herself  happy  in  the  splendors  of  a  former  life,  real 
and  fearful  disasters  had  befallen  her  cause.  She  had  not 
learned  that  the  French  were  approaching  nearer  to  Konigs- 
berg,  and  that  the  unfortunate  royal  family  were  no  longer 
safe  there.  She  had  not  been  conscious  in  her  fever  that  she 
had  been  lifted  from  her  couch  into  the  travelling-coach,  to 
be  conveyed  to  Memel — that  her  carriage  had  been  trans- 
formed into  a  sick-bed,  and  that  she  had  lain  on  the  cushions 
with  burning  cheeks,  singing  sweet  lullabies,  and  rejoicing  in 
her  fancied  happiness. 

But  at  length  her  fever  subsided,  and  consciousness  re- 
turned. All  the  mournful  news  which  during  her  illness  had 
been  concealed  from  her,  overwhelmed  her  as  soon  as  she  re- 
covered, and  for  this  reason  her  health  had  improved  but  very 
slowly.  At  this  hour,  as  we  have  said,  the  blush  had  re- 
turned to  her  cheeks,  and  her  eyes  were  beaming  again  with 
the  fire  of  former  days.  The  letters  gave  a  glimmer  of  hope 
to  her  soul.  They  told  her  of  the  brave  defenders  of  the  for- 
tresses that  had  not  surrendered,  and  of  heroic  Ferdinand  von 
Schill,  who,  with  his  soldiers,  was  doing  so  much  injury  to 
the  enemy,  and  who  had  succeeded  in  capturing  one  of  the 
commanding  generals  of  the  besieging  army,  Marshal  Victor. 
They  told  her  of  Graudenz,  the  commander  of  which  had 
sworn  to  be  buried  under  the  ruins  of  that  fortress  rather  than 
open  its  gates  to  the  enemy;  they  told  her  also  of  Dantzic, 
which  was  still  courageously  holding  out  and  hoping  for  the 
succor  the  Russians  had  promised.  And  these  letters  con- 
tained still  other  hopeful  news:  that  Berlin,  which,  according 
to  former  statements,  was  said  to  have  already  submitted  to 
Napoleon,  was  bowing  very  reluctantly  to  the  behests  of  the 
autocrat,  and  still  waiting  for  the  hour  of  deliverance. 

"  Oh,  I  knew  well  enough,"  said  the  queen,  laying  aside  the 
last  of  her  letters,  "  I  knew  well  enough  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Berlin  are  affectionately  devoted  to  us.  I  never  doubted 
their  constancy,  and  how  should  I?  Those  whom  you  meet 
with  a  heart  full  of  love  are  compelled,  as  it  were,  to  return 
your  love.  The  king  and  I  always  loved  Berlin,  and  always 
counted  on  its  fealty.  I  am  glad,  therefore,  to  hear  that  our 


THE  SLANDEROUS  ARTICLES.  199 

hopes  will  be  fulfilled  one  day!  It  is  still  a  dark,  stormy 
night,  but  daylight  will  come — the  rising  sun  will  dispel  the 
storm  and  scatter  the  darkness.  You  shake  your  head, 
Countess  Truchsess?  You  do  not  believe  in  my  prophecies?" 

"  I  do  not  believe  in  the  fidelity  of  the  inhabitants  of  Ber- 
lin, your  majesty,"  sighed  the  countess,  "  they  are  a  frivolous, 
fickle  people,  who  revile  those  to-day  whom  they  adnvred  but 
yesterday." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  sinking  back  upon  the  sofa, 
"  the  throbbing  of  my  heart  tells  me  that  you  have  to  com- 
municate bad  news!  What  is  it?" 

"  No,  most  gracious  queen,  command  me  rather  to  be 
silent,"  said  the  lady  of  honor,  imploringly.  "Your  majesty 
looks  so  pale  that  I  am  afraid  any  excitement  would  injure 
your  weak  nerves.  You  need  repose  and  ought  not  to  be 
irritated;  besides,  what  does  your  majesty  care  for  the 
slanders  of  the  populace?  Such  arrows  recoil  from  the 
pure." 

"Ah,"  said  the  queen,  with  a  faint  smile,  "you  are  dealing 
with  me  as  did  Kobert  the  hunter  with  the  count  in  Schiller's 
'Walk  to  the  Forge.'  You  are  stimulating  my  curiosity  by 
mysterious  words — you  are  talking  about  slanders,  and  yet  you 
do  not  tell  me  what  they  are." 

"  Only  with  the  difference,  your  majesty,  that  Robert  the 
hunter  told  falsehoods,  which  he  himself  had  invented,  while 
I  alluded  only  to  those  of  others,  and  despise  them  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart." 

"Then  you  mean  to  say  that  I  have  been  slandered,"  ex- 
claimed the  queen,  in  a  low  voice.  "  Tell  me,  countess,  what 
did  your  friends  write  to  you?  What  stories  have  been  dis- 
seminated? I  desire  to  know!" 

"  Gracious  queen,  my  friends  did  not  write  any  thing  on 
the  subject.  I  saw  only  what,  unfortunately,  thousands  have 
already  seen." 

"What  did  you  see?"  said  the  queen,  angrily.  "What  do 
you  refer  to?  Do  not  speak  any  longer  in  riddles,  if  you 
please." 

"  Your  majesty,  I  have  glanced  at  the  pamphlets  and  jour- 
nals lying  there,  and  request  you  not  to  insist  to-day  on  my 
reading  to  you  the  articles  contained  in  them." 

"Ah,  that  is  it!"  exclaimed  Louisa,  laying  both  her  hands 
on  the  periodicals  which  the  countess  seemingly  wished  to 
withhold  from  her.  "  These  contain  the  slanders.  I  must 


200  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN   LOUISA. 

know  what  they  are.  Read  them  to  me,  countess."  And  the 
queen  folded  her  arms  with  a  resolute  air. 

"  Have  mercy  on  me,  your  majesty !  I  am  really  afraid — 
my  lips  cannot  easily  recite  those  vile  lines,  and  your  majesty, 
besides,  will  be  angry  with  me  for  complying." 

"No,  no,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  impatiently,  "I  am  not 
angry  with  you.  You  only  did  your  duty  in  calling  my 
attention  to  these  things,  and  having  taken  upon  yourself  the 
task  of  being  my  reader,  perform  it  now !  What  pamphlets 
are  those  sent  to  us?" 

"Your  majesty,"  said  the  countess,  in  an  embarrassed  tone 
of  voice,  "  there  is,  first,  a  pamphlet  enitled  'A  True  Account 
of  the  Interview  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  with  the  King  of 
Prussia  at  the  Grave  of  Frederick  the  Great. ' ' 

"Read  it,"  replied  the  queen,  dryly,  "it  is  always  good  to 
listen  to  the  true  account  of  events  in  which  we  have  taken 
part."  And  without  uttering  a  word — without  even  a  frown, 
she  listened  to  the  comments  on  the  scene  at  the  grave  of 
Frederick.  They  were  malicious  and  scornful,  representing 
it  as  a  farce. 

"  Well,"  said  the  queen,  when  the  countess  had  finished,  "if 
that  is  the  worst,  I  feel  at  ease  again.  We  must  submit  to 
abuse,  and  I  sincerely  pardon  all  those  who  expose  me  to  the 
derision  of  the  world  by  depicting  me  as  a  martial  Joan  of 
Arc.  It  has  not  been  permitted  me  to  live  quietly  in  the 
shade  of  domestic  happiness.  A  queen  stands  alone  on  a 
summit;  she  is  seen  and  watched  by  every  one,  and  it  is, 
therefore,  but  natural  that  she  should  be  hated  and  abused 
more  relentlessly  than  other  women,  particularly  if  she  be 
unhappy.  For  sovereigns  are  never  pardoned,  although  they 
are  subject  to  human  failings,  and  their  misfortunes  are 
always  regarded  as  their  own  faults.  Let  the  malicious, 
therefore,  deride  us  as  much  as  they  please ;  the  good  will 
only  love  and  respect  us  the  more.  Proceed,  countess!  What 
else  did  we  receive?" 

"  Nothing,  your  majesty,  but  a  few  numbers  of  the  Tele- 
graph." 

"Ah,  read  them,"  exclaimed  the  queen.  "I  know  that 
journal  will  not  slander  me.  Its  editor,  Professor  Laoge,  is  a 
patriot,  and,  for  this  reason,  I  had  promised  to  lend  him  the 
portrait  of  the  king  which  I  am  wearing  in  a  locket,  that  he 
might  give  his  readers  a  good  likeness  of  their  beloved  mon- 
arch. The  disastrous  events  of  the  war,  and  my  departure 


THE  SLANDEROUS  ARTICLES.  201 

from  Berlin,  prevented  me  from  fulfilling  my  promise.  But 
there  will  be  better  times  for  us,  perhaps,  and  I  shall  then  be 
able  to  reward  all  those  who  remain  faithful  to  us." 

"And  I  hope  your  majesty  will  also  be  able  to  punish  those 
who  prove  treacherous,"  exclaimed  the  countess,  vehemently. 

The  queen  shook  her  head.  "No,"  she  said,  "those  who 
wrong  me  I  will  pardon,  and  those  who  are  faithless  I  will 
leave  to  their  own  conscience.  Now,  countess,  read  to  me  the 
articles  of  the  Telegraph." 

"Does  your  majesty  command  me?" 

"I  do!" 

The  countess  took  one  of  the  sheets  and  read  in  a  tremulous 
voice:  '"A  reliable  account  of  the  reasons  why  the  queen 
compelled  her  husband,  in  spite  of  his  reluctance,  to  conclude 
an  alliance  with  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  why  she  herself 
entered  into  a  love-affair  with  Alexander  of  Russia — 

Louisa  started,  and  a  deathly  pallor  covered  her  face  like  a 
veil. 

"Oh,  my  queen!"  exclaimed  the  countess,  imploringly,  "do 
not  insist  on  my  reading  any  further.  I  have  not  courage  to 
do  so." 

"  If  I  have  courage  enough  to  listen,  yon  must  have  courage 
enough  to  read,"  said  the  queen,  almost  harshly.  "Read — I 
command  you." 

And  the  countess,  in  a  low  and  tremulous  voice,  read  the 
disgraceful  charge  preferred  by  that  journal,  which  accused 
the  queen  of  loving  the  Emperor  Alexander  in  the  most 
passionate  manner.  "Queen  Louisa,"  said  the  editor,  "was 
in  favor  of  the  alliance  with  Russia,  because  her  heart  had 
concluded  an  alliance  with  the  handsome  emperor,  and  she 
met  with  her  'fine-looking'  friend  for  the  last  time  in 
the  presence  of  her  husband  at  the  grave  of  Frederick 
the  Great.  The  alliance  of  their  hearts  was  sealed  there  by  a 
glowing  kiss,  which  Alexander  imprinted  on  the  lips  of 
Louisa." 

The  queen  uttered  a  cry,  and  sprang  up  like  an  angry 
lioness.  "That  is  not  true — that  cannot  be  in  the  paper!" 
she  cried,  almost  beside  herself. 

The  lady  of  honor  silently  handed  her  the  paper.  Louisa 
seized  it,  but  she  trembled  so  violently  that  she  was  hardly 
able  to  decipher  the  characters.  She  at  last  read  the  slander- 
ous article  herself.  Heart-rending  groans  escaped  her,  and  a 
strange  twitching  and  quivering  distorted  her  features.  "  It 


202  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

is  indeed  true,  I  have  been  wickedly  reviled!"  she  exclaimed, 
throwing  the  paper  aside.  "  My  enemies  will  rob  me  of  the 
only  thing  remaining — my  honor — my  good  name.  They  de- 
sire to  expose  me  to  the  scorn  of  the  world.  Oh,  this  disgrace 
is  more  shocking  than  all  my  other  sufferings.  It  will  kill 
me!"  She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  and  wept 
piteously.  The  tears  trickled  between  her  fingers,  and  fell  on 
her  black  dress  as  if  adorning  it  with  diamonds. 

The  Countess  von  Truchsess  was  touched  by  the  queen's 
grief.  She  softly  gathered  up  the  other  papers,  and  was  about 
to  leave  the  room,  but  the  noise  of  her  footsteps  aroused 
Louisa  from  the  stupor  of  her  despair.  She  quickly  dropped 
her  hands  from  her  face  and  dried  her  tears.  "Stay  here," 
she  said ;  "  read  the  remainder.  I  want  to  hear  it  all."  And 
as  the  lady  of  honor  remonstrated  against  this  order — as  she 
implored  the  queen  to  spare  herself,  and  to  close  her  ears 
against  such  slanders,  Louisa  said,  gravely  and  imperiously: 
"  I  want  to  know  it  all !  Unknown  terrors  are  even  worse 
than  those  which  we  do  know.  Read!" 

The  countess,  therefore,  was  obliged  to  read.  The  remain- 
ing numbers  of  the  journal  repeated  the  same  charge.  They 
stated,  though  in  different  words,  that  the  queen  alone  was  in 
favor  of  the  alliance  with  Russia;  that  the  king  would  be 
quite  willing  to  make  peace  with  France,  but  that  his  wife 
would  never  permit  it,  because  she  was  passionately  enamoured 
of  the  emperor  of  Russia,  and  maintained  a  tender  liaison 
with  him.  The  queen  listened  as  immovable  and  cold  as  a 
statue;  her  whole  vitality  seemed  suspended ;  she  then  pressed 
her  right  hand  firmly  against  her  heart ;  Avith  her  left  she 
clung  convulsively  to  the  back  of  the  sofa,  on  which  she  was 
sitting,  as  though  she  wished  to  prevent  herself  from  falling. 
Her  eyes  stared  wildly,  as  if  strange  and  fearful  visions  passed 
before  them.  Thus  she  sat,  long  after  the  countess  had 
paused,  an  image  of  grief  and  horror.  The  lady  of  honor 
dared  not  interrupt  her ;  but  clasping  her  hands,  and  weeping 
softly,  she  gazed  at  the  queen,  who,  in  her  grief-stricken 
beauty,  seemed  to  her  a  martyr.  Nothing  was  heard  but  the 
monotonous  ticking  of  the  clock,  and,  at  times,  a  low  whis- 
tling of  the  canary-bird,  in  its  gilt  cage  at  the  window. 

But  suddenly  Louisa  seemed  to  awake  from  her  stupor;  a 
tremor  pervaded  her  whole  frame;  the  flash  of.!  life  and  con- 
sciousness returned  to  her  eyes.  "That  is  his  work,"  she 
muttered;  "this  attack  comes  from  him — from  my  mortal 


THE  SLANDEROUS  ARTICLES.  203 

enemy.  It  is  Napoleon  who  has  aimed  this  poisoned  arrow  at 
my  heart,  because  he  knew  that  nothing  could  hurt  me  and 
my  husband  more  fatally  than  this  dreadful  calumny."  And 
uttering  a  loud  cry  of  despair,  and  wringing  her  hands,  she 
exclaimed  :  "  Oh,  my  God,  what  did  I  do,  to  deserve  so  terri- 
ble a  disgrace !  What  did  my  husband  do  that  he  should  be 
thus  exposed  to  the  relentless  malice  of  his  foe?  Was  not  the 
measure  of  our  wretchedness  full?  Could  not  that  cruel  man, 
who  calls  himself  Emperor  of  the  French,  content  himself 
with  hurling  us  into  the  dust,  and  with  robbing  my  husband 
of  his  states?  Is  the  honor  of  his  wife  also  to  be  sac- 
rificed?" 

A  flood  of  tears  burst  from  her  eyes,  and  lifting  up  her  arms 
to  heaven,  she  cried:  "  My  God,  why  didst  Thou  desert  me! 
Have  mercy  on  me,  and  send  death  to  me,  that  I  may  conceal  my 
reviled  head  in  the  grave!  I  am  accused  of  an  ignominious, 
sinful  love,  although  I  love  no  one  on  earth  but  my  husband 
and  my  children!  And  a  German  pen  was  bought  to  write 
that  slander — German  eyes  did  not  shrink  from  reading  it, 
and  German  men  and  women  permitted  it  to  be  repeated  in 
this  journal  time  and  again !  They  did  not  feel  that  they 
were  disgraced  and  reviled  in  my  person — that  all  Germany 
was  calumniated !  For,  in  my  grief  as  well  as  in  my  love,  I 
am  the  representative  of  Germany,  and  to  insult  me  is  to  in- 
sult all  German  wives  and  mothers.  Woe  to  you,  Napoleon, 
for  stooping  to  such  an  outrage!  I  pardon  your  attempts  to 
rob  me  of  my  crown,  but  so  long  as  I  breathe,  I  will  not  for- 
give your  attacks  upon  my  honor!" 

She  rose  slowly  and  proudly,  and  lifted  her  arms  and  eyes 
as  if  to  utter  a  solemn  imprecation.  "  Woe  to  you,  Na- 
poleon!" she  cried,  in  a  loud,  ringing  voice,  "woe  to  you  that 
you  did  not  respect  the  innocence  of  the  wife,  and  had  no 
mercy  on  the  honor  of  a  mother !  The  tears  which  I  am  shed- 
ding at  this  hour  will  one  day  fall  like  burning  coals  on  your 
heart,  and  for  this  torment  I  am  now  enduring  I  shall  call  you  to 
account  above!  You  think  you  are  master  of  the  earth,  and, 
like  fate  itself,  can  dispose  of  empires;  but  you  will  be 
crushed  at  last— you  will  one  day  feel  that  you  are  only  a 
weak  creature — only  dust,  like  all  of  us.  You  will  yet  sink 
down  in  your  affliction,  and  cry  for  mercy.  Let  me  live  to 
see  that  day,  my  God:  then  my  tears  will  be  avenged!" 

She  paused,  her  eyes  still  directed  toward  heaven,  her  whole 
appearance  breathing  a  sublime  enthusiasm.  She  looked  like 


204  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

a  prophetess  with  her  beaming  face  and  uplifted  arms.  But 
after  a  while  her  arms  dropped,  her  eyes  turned  to  earth 
again,  and  the  inspired  prophetess  was  once  more  transformed 
into  the  unhappy  woman,  who  feared  she  would  die  beneath 
the  burden  of  her  grief.  She  burst  again  into  tears,  and  re- 
peated again  and  again  that  terrible  accusation,  although 
every  word  of  it  struck  her  heart  like  a  dagger.  Gradually, 
however,  the  reviled  woman,  conscious  of  her  innocence,  be- 
came the  proud  and  pure  queen !  With  quiet  dignity  she 
stretched  out  her  hand  toward  the  countess,  who  rushed  to 
her,  pressed  her  lips  on  the  royal  hand,  and  sobbing  asked  to 
be  forgiven. 

"I  have  nothing  to  forgive,"  said  Louisa,  with  a  faint 
smile.  r "  I  know  your  intentions  were  good.  Oh,  believe  me, 
during  hours  of  great  affliction  the  soul  sees  and  comprehends 
many  things  that  were  hitherto  concealed  from  it.  Thus  I 
understood  in  the  outburst  of  my  despair  why  all  this  had 
occurred,  and  why  I  had  to  unde"go  all  these  sufferings.  Na- 
poleon's poisoned  arrow  might  have  fallen  powerless  at  my 
feet,  if  your  uncle  had  not  instructed  you  to  pick  it  up  and 
make  me  feel  it.  Hush !  Do  not  utter  a  word  of  apology ! 
Your  uncle,  General  von  Zastrow,  is  a  patriot  in  his  way,  and 
intended  to  teach  me  by  your  intervention  how  to  become  a 
good  patriot  in  his  sense — that  is  to  say,  to  hate  Eussia,  and 
to  turn  away  from  this  alliance,  for  the  sake  of  which  I  have 
been  insulted.  It  was  policy  that  induced  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon to  invent  these  calumnies,  and  it  was  policy  again  that 
induced  your  uncle  to  have  you  communicate  them  to  me. 
This  is  a  consolation ;  for,  as  it  is,  I  am  suffering  only  for  the 
sake  of  my  people,  and  you  made  me  a  martyr  of  the  German 
cause.  But  I  will  bear  all  without  complaining,  however 
painful  it  may  be;  I  do  not  wish  it  to  cease  if  the  welfare  and 
happiness  of  Prussia  should  be  delayed  thereby  but  a  single 
hour.  I  shall  not  ask  the  king  to  break  off  the  alliance  with 
Russia.  Queen  Louisa  yesterday  believed  an  alliance  with 
Eussia  to  be  necessary  and  advantageous  to  the  welfare  and 
honor  of  Prussia ;  she  will  not  change  her  mind  to-day  be- 
cause Louisa,  the  woman,  is  charged  with  a  dishonorable  love 
for  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  The  woman  may  die  of  this  cal- 
umny, but  dying  she  will  still  be  a  queen,  and  say,  'I  die  for 
my  country,  and  for  my  people !  May  my  death  be  advan- 
tageous to  Prussia!'  Go  to  your  uncle,  countess,  and  tell  him 
so!  And  now  give  me  the  numbers  of  the  journal,  and  the 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  205 

pamphlet  too ;  I  will  take  them  to  the  king.  My  fate,  as  well 
as  that  of  Prussia,  is  in  his  hands.  He  alone  can  absolve  me 
from  the  charge  preferred  against  me.  Give  me  the  papers!" 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

THE   JUSTIFICATION. 

THE  king  sat  at  his  desk,  assiduously  engaged  in  writing, 
wheii  the  door  opened,  and  the  queen  entered.  Her  whole 
bearing  breathed  an  unwonted,  solemn  earnestness;  her  head 
was  proudly  erect,  her  cheeks  pale,  and  a  melancholy  smile 
was  playing  on  her  lips.  In  her  left  hand  she  held  a  roll  of 
papers.  The  king  rose  hastily  to  meet  his  wife  with  a  kindly 
greeting.  Louisa  gave  him  her  right  hand,  and  laid  her  head 
for  a  moment  on  his  shoulder.  Looking  into  her  husband's 
face  with  a  sweet,  touching  expression,  "  Do  you  love  me, 
Frederick?"  she  asked  in  so  low  and  gentle  a  voice  that  he 
scarcely  heard  it.  Frederick  William  smiled,  and,  instead  of 
replying  to  her,  imprinted  a  kiss  on  her  fair  brow. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  me?"  said  Louisa.  "  Oh,  my  lord  and 
king,  I  implore  you  by  every  thing  that  is  sacred — by  the 
memory  of  our  children — tell  me,  sincerely  and  frankly,  as  if 
standing  before  God,  do  you  believe  in  me?  Do  you  believe 
in  my  love — in  my  virtue?" 

"Louisa,"  exclaimed  the  king,  indignantly  and  almost 
aghast,  "  this  question  is  too  grave  to  be  a  jest,  and  too  ludi- 
crous to  be  grave." 

"  And  yet  I  am  in  earnest,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  in  an  out- 
burst of  excitement,  which  she  was  no  longer  able  to  restrain. 
"  Look  at  these  papers,  Frederick.  They  contain  a  terrible 
charge  against  your  wife — the  mother  of  your  children — the 
queen  of  our  people.  They  accuse  the  wife  of  a  disgraceful 
liaison,  and  the  queen  of  the  most  infamous  selfishness. 
Frederick,  they  charge  me  with  loving  the  Emperor  Alexan- 
der,  awl  with  having  induced  you,  for  the  purpose  of  grat- 
ifying this  passion,  to  enter  into  the  alliance  with  Russia. 
Now,  you  know  the  disgrace  weighing  me  down,  of  which 
all  Germany  is  aware  by  this  time,  and  in  which  the  malicious 
and  evil-disposed  will  surely  believe,  even  though  the  virtu- 
ous and  compassionate  may  refuse  to  credit  it.  Read  these 


206  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

papers,  my  husband ;  read  them  in  my  presence,  and  if  your 
features  express  but  a  shadow  of  doubt — if  you  fix  your  eyes 
but  for  a  moment  on  me  with  an  uncertain  expression — let 
me  die,  and  hide  my  head  in  the  grave!" 

She  offered  the  papers  to  the  king,  but  Frederick  William 
only  glanced  at  them,  and  then  laying  them  on  the  table,  took 
from  one  of  its  drawers  other  papers.  "  See,  Louisa,"  he  said 
in  his  blunt,  dry  manner,  "  these  are  the  same  numbers  of  the 
Telegraph;  I  have  already  had  them  for  a  week,  and  read 
every  word  of  them." 

The  queen  unfolded  them.  "  It  is  true,"  she  said,  shudder- 
ing ;  "  they  are  the  same  papers ;  I  read  there  again  the  terri- 
ble words,  'Queen  Louisa  insists  on  continuing  the  alliance 
with  Eussia,  only  because  her  heart  has  formed  an  alliance 
with  the  fine-looking  Emperor  Alexander,  and  because  she 
is  passionately  enamoured  of  him.'  Oh,  my  husband,  these 
words  have  engraved  themselves  as  a  stigma  on  my  forehead, 
and  should  your  eyes  behold  it  also,  let  me  expunge  it  by 
sacrificing  my  life.  Tell  me  the  truth,  Frederick !  Have  I 
deserved  it — have  I  ever  sinned  by  a  word — nay,  by  a  look  ? 
I  have  often  thought  and  said,  that  there  is  a  vestige  of  truth 
at  the  bottom  of  every  rumor — that  it  may  be  greatly  exagger- 
ated, but  cannot  be  entirely  false.  Is  there  any  foundation 
whatever  for  this  slander?  Consider  well,  my  husband,  and 
if  you  should  find  that  I  have  sinned  by  a  gesture,  by  a  smile, 
banish  me  from  your  presence.  Tell  me  that  I  am  unworthy 
of  being  called  your  wife;  tear  the  bonds  of  friendship  that 
unite  you  with  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  oppose  him  as  an 
enemy,  menacing  and  demanding  satisfaction.  There  must 
be  no  stain  on  your  honor,  and  if  you  believe  the  statements 
of  these  papers,  show  to  the  world  that  you  will  punish  the 
faithless  wife  and  spurn  the  treacherous  friend!" 

The  king  put  his  hands  on  the  glowing  cheeks  of  his  wife, 
and,  raising  her  head,  gazed  at  her  with  a  long  and  tender 
look.  "  Your  friends  had  no  mercy  on  you,  then?"  he  asked. 
"  They  had  to  inform  you  pitilessly  of  what  I  wished  so 
anxiously  to  conceal  from  you?  I  would  willingly  have  cut 
off  my  right  hand  if  I  could  have  expunged  with  the  blood 
trickling  from  the  wound  those  lies  from  the  public  mind. 
But  the  world  has  now  as  little  mercy  on  us  as  fate.  Afflic- 
tion has  hitherto  surrounded  your  beauty  with  the  glory  of  a 
martyr;  but  mean  men  have  been  instigated  to  make  you  a 
penitent  sinner — a  Magdalen  of  the  martyr." 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  20? 

"My  beloved  Frederick,"  cried  the  queen,  "you  evade  my 
question ;  you  do  not  reply  to  me !  Tell  me  the  truth.  Do 
you  believe  in  me?  Or  do  you  deem  me  guilty?" 

At  this  moment  a  low  rap  at  the  door  interrupted  them. 
The  king  listened,  and  then  turned  smilingly  to  his  wife. 
"  It  is  Minister  von  Zastrow,  who  comes  with  General  Ber- 
trand,"  he  said.  "  I  have  granted  an  audience  to  the  French- 
man at  this  hour,  to  receive  the  letter  and  the  peace  oilers  of 
Napoleon.  He  is  proposing  to  me  an  alliance  with  France, 
and  he,  as  well  as  his  adherents  here,  I  suppose,  count  on  my 
having  read  those  papers,  knowing  in  what  sense  malicious 
men  are  interpreting  our  alliance  with  Russia.  The  reply  that 
I  shall  make  to  Napoleon's  envoy  will  be  also  a  reply  to  your 
question;  hence  you  shall  hear  it,  Louisa.  Enter  my  cabi- 
net; the  portiere  will  conceal  you  from  the  eyes  of  my  visitors 
while  you  will  hear  every  thing  that  is  said."  He  took  the 
queen's  arm  and  conducted  her  quickly  into  the  adjoining 
room ;  hastily  rolled  an  easy-chair  toward  the  door,  and  re- 
quested her  by  a  wave  of  his  hand  to  sit  down  on  it.  He  then 
lowered  the  thick  velvet  portiere,  and,  taking  leave  of  his  wife 
with  a  smile,  returned  to  his  room. 

Louisa  gazed  after  him.  "Oh,"  she  whispered,  "how 
could  I  deceive  and  betray  him? — him  whom  I  love  as  the 
cause  of  all  my  happiness,  and  who  has  rendered  my  life  sacred 
and  glorious!  Oh,  my  husband  and  my  children!  my  con- 
science is  clear,  and  accuses  me  of  no  guilt!  Will  you  believe 
it,  Frederick?  Will  those  infamous  slanders  not  leave  a  ves- 
tige of  mistrust  in  your  mind  ?  But  hush,  hush !  the  envoy 
is  there  already !  I  will  listen  to  what  the  king  replies  to  him. " 
She  bent  her  head  closer,  and  her  large  blue  eyes  with  their 
searching  glances  seemed  to  pierce  the  heavy  velvet,  so  that  she 
might  not  only  hear  but  see  what  was  going  on  in  the  room. 

In  obedience  to  a  sign  made  by  the  king,  the  door  of  the 
anteroom  had  opened,  and  General  Bertrand,  accompanied  by 
General  von  Zastrow,  entered.  The  king,  standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  returned  the  deep,  respectful  obeisances 
of  the  two  gentlemen  by  a  careless  nod,  and  fixed  his  quiet 
eyes  searchingly  on  the  French  general. 

"Sire,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  in  a  loud  and  solemn 
voice,  "  General  Bertrand,  adjutant  of  his  majesty  the  Em- 
peror Napoleon,  in  accordance  with  the  gracious  leave  of  your 
majesty,  has  appeared  here  in  order  to  deliver  to  you  an  au- 
tograph letter  from  his  imperial  master." 


208  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  General  Bertrand,  and  to  make  his  ac- 
quaintance," said  Frederick  William,  composedly;  "I  like 
the  brave ;  and  not  merely  the  French  army,  but  all  men, 
know  you  to  be  a  brave  officer." 

General  Bertrand  blushed.  "  Ah,  sire,"  he  said,  "  if  I  have 
not  deserved  this  praise  hitherto,  your  royal  and  kindly  words 
will  stimulate  me  in  the  future  to  strive  with  unflagging 
zeal  to  become  worthy  of  it.  I  deem  myself  happy  because 
my  august  master  the  emperor  selected  me  to  be  the  bearer 
of  his  letter  and  of  his  proposition,  for  he  thereby  enables  me 
to  do  homage  to  the  noblest  and  best  of  kings — to  the  exalted 
sovereign  who  bears  prosperity  and  adversity  with  equal  dig- 
nity. Your  majesty  will  permit  me  to  deliver  the  letter  of 
my  emperor  into  your  hands. "  He  approached  the  king,  and, 
presenting  to  him  the  large  letter  to  which  the  imperial  seal 
had  been  affixed,  reverentially  bent  his  knee. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Frederick  William,  quickly,  "a  brave  sol- 
dier must  not  humble  himself  in  this  manner;  rise,  general!" 

General  Bertrand  rose,  holding  the  imperial  letter  still  in 
his  hands,  for  the  king  had  not  yet  taken  it.  Looking  at 
him  inquiringly,  "  Sire,"  he  said,  "  may  I  request  your  majesty 
to  receive  the  letter  of  my  emperor?" 

"  Ah,  I  forgot,"  exclaimed  me  king.  "  You  are  the  bearer 
of  a  letter  the  Emperor  Napoleon  has  addressed  to  me.  Let 
me  confess  my  want  of  skill:  I  am  unable  to  read  your 
emperor's  handwriting  very  rapidly,  and  it  is  disagreeable 
slowly  to  decipher  such  a  letter.  Moreover,  what  the  emperor 
has  to  say  to  me  will,  doubtless,  sound  better  when  uttered  by 
your  lips,  than  in  the  black  words  on  the  paper.  I,  therefore, 
request  you  to  read  it  to  me." 

"Sire,"  exclaimed  General  Bertrand,  "I  shall  not  dare  to 
break  the  seal  of  a  letter  addressed  to  your  majesty,  and  not 
to  me." 

"Oh,  you  may  do  so,"  said  the  king,  "I  permit  you  to 
break  the  seal.  What  the  Emperor  Napoleon  and  I  have  to 
write  to  each  other  need  not  be  sealed.  Everybody  may  know 
it.  And,  I  suppose  his  letters  will  be  only  a  sort  of  contin- 
uation of  the  bulletins  he  issued  in  Potsdam  and  Berlin. 
Such  bulletins  and  letters  belong  to  the  world  and  history, 
which  will  judge  them." 

"Oh,"  whispered  the  queen,  who  had  heard  every  word, 
"oh,  why  cannot  I  see  him  in  his  proud  calmness  and  dignity, 
and  thank  him  for  his  noble  words!"  She  seized  the  portiere 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  209 

with  her  slender  fingers  and  pushed  it  aside  a  little,  so  as  to 
be  able  to  see  what  was  going  on  in  the  other  room.  The 
king,  perhaps,  had  noticed  the  slight  rustling,  for  he  glanced 
quickly  at  the  curtain;  it  opened  immediately,  the  noble  and 
beautiful  face  of  the  queen  appeared ;  she  nodded  with  radiant 
eyes  a  smiling  greeting  to  her  husband,  and  kissed  her  hand 
to  him;  her  head  then  disappeared  from  the  aperture,  and  the 
folds  of  dark  velvet  closed  again.  General  Bertrand  and 
General  von  Zastrow  had  seen  nothing.  Both  stood  with 
their  backs  toward  the  door,  and  respect  prevented  them  from 
looking  around  toward  the  slight  noise  that  reached  their  ears 
for  a  moment. 

A  smile  illuminated  the  king's  face.  "Well,"  he  asked, 
almost  jestingly,  turning  to  General  Bertrand,  "  you  have  not 
broken  the  seal  yet?  Do  so,  for  you  ought  to  understand  that 
I  am  anxious  to  hear  the  contents  of  this  letter." 

"Sire,  inasmuch  as  you  command  me,  I  obey,"  said  Ber- 
trand. With  a  quick  pressure  of  his  hand  he  broke  the  seal 
and  opened  the  letter. 

"Now  let  me  hear  it,"  said  the  king,  gliding  slowly 
and  carelessly  into  the  easy-chair  standing  at  the  side  of  the 
desk.  "There  are  two  chairs;  take  seats,  gentlemen!" 

"  Your  majesty  will  permit  me  to  stand.  My  master  the 
emperor  is  not  accustomed  to  have  his  letters  read  in  another 
position." 

"  Yes,  he  may  require  his  subjects  to  pay  to  him  the  defer- 
ence of  standing  when  one  of  his  letters  is  being  read,"  said 
the  king.  "  You  may  stand,  therefore,  if  you  please.  Gen- 
eral von  Zastrow,  sit  down."  The  king  said  this  in  so  stern 
and  imperious  a  tone  that  General  von  Zastrow  felt  resistance 
impossible,  and  that  he  would  have  to  obey  the  king's  order. 
He  took  a  chair  in  silence,  inwardly  aghast  at  this  disrespectful 
breach  of  etiquette. 

"Read,"  said  the  king,  dryly.  General  Bertrand  unfolded 
the  letter  and  read  as  follows: 

"  Your  majesty  will  receive  this  letter  at  the  hands  of  my 
Adjutant-General  Bertrand,  who  enjoys  my  friendship.  I, 
therefore,  request  you  to  repose  entire  confidence  in  every 
thing  that  he  says,  and  I  flatter  myself  that  his  mission  will 
be  agreeable  to  you. 

"  Bertrand  will  communicate  to  your  majesty  my  views 
about  the  present  state  of  your  affairs.  I  desire  to  set  bounds 
to  the  misfortunes  of  your  family,  and  to  organize,  as  soon  as 


210  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

possible,  the  Prussian  monarchy,  whose  mediating   power  is 
necessary  for  the  tranquillity  of  Europe. 

"  Bertrand  will  also  communicate  to  you  the  easiest  and 
quickest  way  in  which  this  can  be  brought  about,  and  I  hope 
your  majesty  will  let  me  know  that  you  have  taken  the  step 
which  will  accomplish  this  purpose  in  the  best  manner,  and 
which,  at  the  same  time,  will  agree  with  the  welfare  of  your 
subjects;  that  is  to  say,  that  you  accept  the  peace  which  I  am 
offering  to  you.  At  all  events,  I  beg  your  majesty  to  feel 
convinced  that  I  am  sincerely  disposed  to  resume  our  former 
relations,  and  that  I  also  wish  to  come  to  an  understanding 
with  Russia  and  England,  provided  these  powers  should  be 
animated  with  the  same  desire.  I  should  detest  myself  if  I 
were  to  be  the  cause  of  so  much  bloodshed.  But  how  can  I 
help  it?  The  conclusion  of  peace  is  therefore  in  the  hands 
of  your  majesty,  and  it  would  be  the  happiest  day  of  my  life 
if  you  accept  my  present  propositions. 

"NAPOLEON." 

"  You  have  to  make  oral  explanations  to  this  letter  of  your 
emperor?"  asked  the  king,  when  Bertrand  paused. 

"  Yes,  sire,  my  master  the  emperor  intrusted  me  with 
further  communications  to  you,"  said  Bertrand.  "But,  in 
the  first  place,  I  beg  leave  of  your  majesty  to  deliver  the  im- 
perial letter  into  your  hands."  He  approached  the  king  and 
presented  tho  paper  to  him  with  a  respectful  bow. 

The  king  did  not  take  it,  but  pointed  to  his  desk.  "  Lay 
it  there,"  he  said,  carelessly.  "The  purpose  of  this  letter  is 
accomplished;  I  know  its  contents,  and  that  is  all  I  care 
about.  And  now,  general,  communicate  to  me  as  briefly  as 
possible  the  verbal  commissions  with  which  the  emperor  has 
intrusted  you." 

"  Sire,  his  majesty  the  emperor  authorized  me  to  repeat  to 
you  that  it  was  his  liveliest  wish  to  resume  his  former  amicable 
relations  with  Prussia,  and  that  he  would  shrink  from  no  sac- 
rifice to  effect  it.  The  emperor  longs  for  nothing  more 
ardently  than  to  restore  your  states  to  your  majesty,  and  to 
conduct  you  back  to  your  capital." 

"As  his  vassal?"  asked  the  king,  smiling  sarcastically. 

"No,  sire,  as  a  free  and  independent  king." 

"  Not  as  Napoleon's  ally,  then?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  as  the  emperor's  ally,  but  as  free  and  independent 
as  he  is  himself.  It  is  true,  the  emperor  hopes  and  wishes 
that  Prussia  will  be  friendly  toward  France ;  he  relies  on  your 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  211 

majesty's  assistance  in  his  struggle  with  Russia,  which,  in 
that  case,  will  soon  bow  to  the  united  will  of  France  and 
Prussia,  and  be  compelled  to  accept  a  treaty  of  peace.  In 
return,  the  emperor  will  surrender  to  the  just  wishes  of  your 
majesty  seditious  Poland,  which,  as  the  emperor  has  become 
satisfied,  is  unable  to  bear  an  independent  existence.  The 
rebellious  provinces  of  Prussian  Poland  shall  speedily  be 
compelled  to  yield  unconditional  obedience  to  the  Prussian 
sceptre,  and  your  country  shall  occupy  once  more  the  position 
due  to  her  in  the  council  of  European  nations.  It  will  be 
unnecessary  for  her  to  make  for  this  purpose  any  sacrifices  to 
the  friends  and  allies  of  France;  all  her  fortresses  and  prov- 
inces shall  be  fully  restored,  and  so  soon  as  the  treaty  of  peace 
will  have  been  definitively  concluded,  the  French  troops  will 
evacuate  the  Prussian  territory." 

While  General  Bertrand  was  speaking,  the  face  of  Minister 
von  Zastrow  had  brightened,  and  was  now  really  radiant  with 
joy.  Animated  by  the  cheering  words  of  the  Frenchman,  he 
rose  from  his  seat,  and  looked  at  the  king  with  clasped  hands 
and  imploring  eyes.  But  the  countenance  of  Frederick  Will- 
iam remained  impenetrable  and  cold;  not  the  slightest  ex- 
pression of  joy  or  gratification  was  to  be  read  in  it. 

"Are  you  done,  general?"  asked  the  king,  after  a  pause. 

"  Yes,  sire.     I  am  waiting  for  your  majesty's  reply." 

"This  reply  will  be  brief  and  decisive,"  exclaimed  Fred- 
erick William,  loudly,  rising  slowly  and  with  truly  royal  dig- 
nity. "  I  will  not  accept  this  alliance  and  this  peace!" 

"Your  majesty,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  in  dismay,  for- 
getful of  the  requirements  of  etiquette,  "  your  majesty,  that 
is  impossible!  You  cannot  be  in  earnest;  I  beseech  you  first 
to  hear  the  opinion  of  your  ministers,  and  to  consult  a  cabi- 
net council." 

"Silence!"  said  the  king,  indignantly;  "the  only  voices 
that  I  ought  to  consult  with  regard  to  this  question  are  not 
those  of  my  ministers,  but  those  of  my  conscience  and  honor. 
It  behooves  the  king  alone  to  decide  upon  war  or  peace.  I 
repeat,  therefore,  I  will  not  accept  this  peace  nor  enter  into 
the  alliance  offered  under  such  circumstances.  I  might  con- 
tent myself  with  this  declaration,  but  I  shall  tell  you  the 
reasons  of  my  refusal  that  you  may  repeat  them  to  your  em- 
peror. I  cannot  accept,  for  it  would  be  a  defeat  and  disgrace 
more  humiliating  than  the  loss  of  a  battle.  What,  sir!  I 
am  to  receive  by  the  grace  and  bon  plaisir  of  your  emperor 


212  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

the  gift  of  a  position  to  which  I  am  entitled  by  my  birth  \ 
The  Emperor  Napoleon  condescends  to  restore  my  states  after 
forcibly  expelling  me  from  them!  If  I  were  to  accept  this 
offer,  I  should  thereby  condemn  myself;  and  this  war,  into 
which  I  entered  so  reluctantly,  because  I  foresaw  its  disastrous 
consequences,  would  be  nothing  but  a  reckless  adventure, 
abandoned  by  myself  because  unsuccessful.  If  I  allowed  Na- 
poleon to  reinstate  me  in  my  rights,  what  would  I  be  but  his 
vassal?  Not  a  king  by  the  grace  of  God,  but  a  king  by  the 
grace  of  Napoleon — not  the  ruler  of  a  free  and  independent 
German  state,  but  the  governor  of  a  French  province — the 
despised  oppressor  of  an  enslaved  people,  robbed  of  tlieir  honor, 
independence,  and  nationality.  Now,  I  commenced  this  war 
for  the  sake  of  my  own  honor  and  that  of  my  people.  I  com- 
menced it  to  set  bounds  to  French  cupidity  and  thirst  for 
conquest ;  to  preserve  to  Germany  her  German  and  to  Prussia 
her  Prussian  character,  and  to  drive  back  the  Confederation 
of  the  Rhine  beyond  the  frontier  of  the  Rhine.  The  fortune 
of  war  has  not  sustained  me  in  these  efforts,  and  victory 
perched  upon  the  eagles  of  France.  But  the  Prussian  eagle 
is  not  yet  dead ;  he  may  still  hope  to  rise  again,  and,  endowed 
with  renewed  vigor,  reconquer  what  belongs  to  him.  What 
was  taken  by  the  sword  can  be  reconquered  only  by  the  sword. 
My  honor,  as  well  as  that  of  my  army  and  people,  was  wounded 
on  the  battle-fields  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt;  it  cannot  be  healed 
by  the  balm  of  Napoleon's  grace;  it  can  only  be  redeemed  by 
blood!" 

"Sire,  I  beseech  you,  do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  carried 
away  by  the  ardor  of  your  heroism,"  exclaimed  General  Ber- 
trand,  feelingly.  "  Remember  that  after  the  rejection  of  this 
peace  the  Emperor  Napoleon  will  be  a  relentless  enemy  of 
yours,  and  leave  nothing  undone  in  order  to  annihilate  Prus- 
sia. Your  majest}7  ought  also  to  take  into  consideration  that 
you  lack  an  army — that  your  forces  have  been  dispersed,  and 
that  your  fortresses  have  surrendered. " 

"  Colberg  and  Graudenz  are  still  holding  out,"  exclaimed 
the  king,  "and  so  is  Dantzic." 

"  Sire,  if  you  reject  this  peace,  the  first  step  of  the  emperor 
will  be  to  take  Dantzic  by  assault,"  said  General  Bertrand. 

"  Your  majesty,  have  mercy  on  Dantzic,"  exclaimed  General 
Ton  Zastrow,  imploringly ;  "  have  mercy  on  your  blockaded 
fortresses— on  your  poor  distressed  subjects  !  So  soon  as  your 
majesty  accepts  this  peace,  the  Emperor  Napoleon  intends 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  213 

withdrawing  all  the  French  troops  from  Prussian  territory. 
Oh,  pray  take  into  consideration  how  dreadfully  your  people 
have  suffered  by  the  heavy  contributions,  and  the  enormous 
supplies  to  the  troops!  Remember  that  they  are  overwhelmed 
with  wretchedness,  and  are  kneeling  and  crying  to  God  and 
to  their  king  to  restore  peace." 

"0  my  God,"  murmured  the  queen,  "  inspire  him  with  the 
true  decision,  and  grant  that  he  may  perceive  and  choose  what 
is  right!"  She  knelt  down  behind  the  curtain  as  if  to  hear 
better  the  king's  words,  that  to  her  were  the  words  of  God. 
The  king  did  not  seem  to  notice  his  minister's  supplication; 
his  eyes  glanced  at  him  coldly  and  disdainfully,  and  were  then 
fixed  gravely  on  the  face  of  the  French  general. 

"  I  am  not  quite  done  with  my  reply  to  your  propositions," 
he  said.  "  I  have  told  you  the  reasons  why  I  cannot  accept 
peace.  It  only  remains  to  explain  why,  though  the  terms 
were  honorable,  I  could  and  would  not  be  allowed  to  enter 
into  this  alliance.  By  virtue  of  it  I  should  be  obliged  to  es- 
pouse the  c  vSe  of  France  against  her  enemies,  and  to  wage 
war  against  Russia,  my  ally.  I  am  to  violate  the  only  sure 
compact  remaining  to  me  in  order  to  become  a  mere  cipher  in 
the  hands  of  Napoleon!  I  am  to  betray  him  who  has  been 
faithful  to  me !  The  Emperor  of  Russia  is  my  personal  friend. 
At  the  grave  of  Frederick  the  Great  I  swore  with  him  to 
maintain  the  alliance  of  both  our  hearts  and  our  states,  and 
no  other  voice  induced  me  to  take  this  step  but  my  inclina- 
tion, my  policy,  and  my  reason.  The  Emperor  of  Russia, 
true  to  our  mutual  oath,  renewed  his  protestations  of  friend- 
ship in  the  hour  of  danger,  and  his  army  is  ready  to  uphold 
our  common  cause.  If,  now  that  France  is  offering  peace  to 
me  at  the  expense  of  Russia,  I  were  to  accept  it,  I  should 
commit  a  perfidious  act,  and,  as  a  Prussian  soldier,  as  a  friend 
of  the  Emperor  Alexander,  I  must  decidedly  reject  any  idea  of 
such  a  desertion.  A  German  keeps  his  word,  and  does  not 
trifle  with  treaties  he  has  sworn  to.  German  fealty  has  not 
yet  become  an  empty  sound,  and  France  will  be  obliged  to 
admit  that  she  is  struggling  with  an  adversary  who  does  not 
sell  his  honor  for  provinces  or  for  money.  Now  you  know  all 
I  had  to  communicate.  Tell  Napoleon  that  intrigues  and 
slanders  cannot  separate  me  from  my  alliance  with  the  Em- 
peror of  Russia  any  more  than  adulation  and  advantageous 
offers.  My  resolution  will  remain  as  firm  as  a  rock.  And 
now,  good-by,  general!" 

J— Ml' II  I.BACH  VOLt    J 


214  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

He  waved  his  hand  to  Bertrand,  and  received  with  proud 
calmness  the  respectful  bows  with  which  the  French  general 
withdrew. 

No  sooner  had  the  door  closed  than  the  queen  appeared. 
Her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  stretching  out  her  arms  toward 
her  husband,  seemed  a  picture  of  beauty,  grace,  and  love. 
The  king  hastened  to  her  and  pressed  her  firmly  against  his 
heart.  "Are  you  satisfied  with  my  answer,  Louisa?"  he 
asked.  "  Do  you  know  now  what  I  think  of  those  wretched 
calumnies?" 

The  queen  bent  and  kissed  his  hand.  "I  thank  you,  my 
beloved  husband,"  she  whispered  tenderly.  "Wise  and  kind 
as  you  always  are,  you  knew  how  to  comfort  my  heart,  and  by 
your  heroic  words  to  fill  my  soul  with  enthusiasm  and  delight. 
My  husband  and  king,  you  have  restored  my  honor.  I  care 
no  longer  for  the  abuse  of  the  world,  but  shall  always  think  of 
this  sacred  hour,  for  my  king  believes  in  me,  and  my  husband 
still  loves  his  Louisa;  he  knows  that  the  mother  of  his  chil- 
dren is  innocent,  and  may  freely  raise  her  eyes  to  heaven." 

"I  know  more  than  that,"  said  the  king,  laying  his  hand 
on  his  wife's  head,  as  if  blessing  her;  "I  know  that  in  these 
times  of  adversity  you  are  the  only  hope  left  me;  I  know  that 
I  derive  courage  and  consolation  from  you,  and  that  in  my 
misfortunes  I  still  deem  myself  fortunate,  because  you  are  by 
my  side — the  angel  of  my  life!" 

"Ah,  Frederick,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  bursting  into  tears, 
"  Frederick,  how  rich  and  happy  you  make  me !  Am  I  not 
an  enviable  wife,  possessed  as  I  am  of  such  a  husband!"  In 
passionate  tenderness,  she  threw  her  arms  about  him,  and  in 
loving  embrace  rested  long  on  his  breast. 

Some  one  rapped  repeatedly  and  discreetly  at  the  door. 
Louisa,  blushing,  raised  her  head  and  dropped  her  arms. 
The  king  ordered  the  person  to  walk  in.  It  was  General  von 
Zastrow  who  entered,  pale  and  gloomy.  Frederick  William 
smilingly  beckoned  him  to  approach. 

"  You  are  dissatisfied  with  me,  Zastrow?"  he  said,  in  a 
pleasant  tone ;  "  you  believe  it  would  be  better  to  make  peace?" 

"  Your  majesty,  I  am  afraid  you  have  rejected  an  advan- 
tageous alliance,  and  will,  perhaps,  be  compelled  soon  to  ac- 
cept by  far  more  rigorous  terms. " 

"  You  do  not  know,  then,  that  large  Russian  forces  are  ad- 
vancing, and  that  the  Emperor  Alexander  himself  probably 
leads  his  troops  against  the  enemy?" 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  215 

"  Pardon  me,  sire,  but  I  do  not  believe  in  the  friendship  of 
Russia.  Your  majesty  uttered  words  so  generous  to-day,  that 
my  eyes  filled  with  tears  of  admiration,  and  I  felt  proud  as  a 
man  and  subject,  although  my  heart  as  a  general  and  minister 
was  overwhelmed  with  sorrow.  Hay  Russia  deserve  your 
fidelity!  may  she  not  disappoint  your  hopes,  and  commit  as, 
you  said,  a  perfidious  act,  by  entering  into  an  alliance  with 
France  at  the  expense  of  Prussia!  But  may  your  majesty, 
above  all,  get  an  army  courageous  and  strong  enough  to  brave 
all  your  enemies,  and  restore  the  greatness  of  Prussia!" 

"You  do  not  believe,  then,  in  this  army?"  asked  the  king, 
gloomily. 

"  Your  majesty,  in  order  to  organize  an  army,  money — a 
great  deal  of  money — is  indispensable." 

"And  you  mean  to  say  we  have  none?" 

"  Your  majesty,  not  only  your  privy  purse  is  entirely  ex- 
hausted, but  there  is  also  no  money  in  the  state  and  district 
treasuries.  Gold  and  silver  seem  to  have  wholly  disappeared; 
stocks  and  commercial  paper  are  depreciating  every  day,  and 
the  bankruptcy  of  the  state  will  be  inevitable!" 

"Ahl"  exclaimed  the  king,  indignantly,  "  do  not  utter 
such  a  word!  Never  shall  I  permit  such  distress  to  be  in- 
flicted upon  my  poor  subjects!" 

He  commenced  rrpidly  pacing  the  room ;  suddenly,  how- 
ever, he  stood  still  in  front  of  the  queen,  who  had  softly  with- 
drawn into  a  window-niche,  where  she  had  watched  every 
movement  of  the  king.  "  Louisa,  will  your  repasts  be  as 
agreeable  to  you  on  porcelain  plates  as  on  gold  and  silver?" 

The  queen  smiled.  "  The  little  Princess  of  Mecklenburg 
was  accustomed  to  take  her  meals  off  porcelain,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  honestly  confess  that  the  Queen  of  Prussia  at  times 
envied  her  her  plain  white  plates." 

The  king,  turning  again  to  his  minister,  said :  "  We  are 
not  yet  so  poor  as  you  seem  to  believe;  our  large  golden 
dinner-set,  the  heirloom  of  our  ancestors,  was  safely  removed 
from  Berlin,  and  is  now  here  at  Memel.  It  embraces  pieces 
of  the  highest  value,  for  which  millions  have  been  paid. 
May  my  ancestors  pardon  my  giving  away  what  they  collected ! 
I  am  not  doing  so  in  a  reckless  and  extravagant  manner,  but 
with  profound  sorrow  and  with  a  mournful  heart.  But  it 
cannot  be  helped!  General  von  Zastrow,  I  shall  issue  the 
necessary  orders  to  have  my  large  golden  dinner-set  either  sold 
or  pawned.  We  shall  receive  at  least  a  million  dollars  for  it." 


216  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  And  the  privy  purse  of  your  majesty  stands  greatly  in 
need  of  this  million,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  drawing  a 
sigh. 

The  king  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  Not  a  dollar  of  it  shall 
be  paid  into  my  privy  purse,"  he  said.  "  The  money  shall  be 
distributed  among  the  public  treasuries,  that  the  lack  of 
funds  may  be  temporarily  relieved,  and  that  my  poor  suffering 
subjects  need  not  fear  that  the  state  become  bankrupt." 

"  But  if  your  majesty  should  carry  out  this  generous  resolu- 
tion," exclaimed  the  general,  "you  may  soon  be  in  danger 
yourself  of  privations." 

The  king  cast  a  long,  inquiring  glance  on  his  wife.  Louisa 
smiled  and  nodded  kindly  to  him.  "  If  questions  of  economy 
and  family  matters  are  to  be  considered,"  she  said,  "a  woman 
may  be  permitted  to  say  a  word  in  the  council  of  men,  and  to 
give  her  opinion  as  "a  housewife.  I  think  we  are  tolerating  a 
great  many  superfluous  and  very  expensive  things  in  our  pri- 
vate household,  and,  if  my  husband  does  not  object,  I  should 
like  to  ask  for  a  few  changes." 

"I  shall  never  dare  to  contradict  you,"  said  Frederick, 
kindly.  "  Let  me,  therefore,  know  the  changes  you  wish  to 
make." 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  think  that  we  have  too  many  servants, 
considering  our  present  circumstances,  and  the  small  house  in 
which  we  are  living.  As  we  do  not  give  dinners,  the  people 
attached  to  the  kitchen  may  be  greatly  diminished ;  most  of 
the  cooks,  as  well  as  the  legion  of  footmen,  may  be  discharged. 
It  is  necessary,  too,  to  reduce  the  number  of  carriages,  and  to 
sell  most  of  the  horses  standing  uselessly  in  the  stable.  A 
plain  vehicle,  drawn  by  two  good  horses,  is  sufficient  for  my 
children,  and  whenever  I  want  a  ride,  I  believe  my  husband 
will  lend  me  his  yellow  travelling-coach." 

"  Provided  you  allow  me  a  seat  at  your  side,"  said  the  king, 
smiling.  "  Are  there  any  other  suggestions  you  deem  neces- 
sary?" 

"  I  wish  the  servants  surrounding  us  to  appear  in  a  plain 
dress,  and  the  expensive  liveries,  covered  with  gold  and  silver 
lace,  to  disappear.  A  plain  black  cloth  coat,  trimmed  with 
white,  is  sufficient.  It  is  not,  however,  to  signify  that  we  are 
in  mourning,  but  only  to  represent  the  Prussian  colors,  and 
on  looking  at  them  I  shall  always  feel  proud  and  happy,  while 
now,  on  beholding  the  liveries  covered  with  gold  and  silver,  I 
cannot  suppress  my  shame,  for  I  think  of  the  distress  of  our 


THE  JUSTIFICATION.  217 

subjects,  and  of  the  misery  of  our  country.  Let  us  begin, 
therefore,  a  plain,  unpretending  existence,  my  husband;  let 
us  set  an  example  of  simplicity  to  our  people,  and  show  them 
that  one  may  be  contented,  though  deprived  of  the  splendors 
of  wealth  and  position." 

The  king  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  against  his  lips.  "  I 
consent  to  all  your  wishes,  Louisa,"  he  said;  " I  will  issue  to- 
day the  necessary  orders  to  the  steward. — You  see,  general, 
our  privy  purse  will  not  lack  money,  for  we  shall  realize  a 
handsome  sum  by  the  sale  of  our  horses,  carriages,  and  the 
gold  and  silver  lace  of  the  liveries.  Moreover,  the  war  will 
not  last  forever,  and  we  may,  perhaps,  look  soon  for  a  final 
decision." 

"Your  majesty,  war,  then,  is  absolutely  unavoidable?" 

"You  still  ask  this  question?  Yes,  the  war  will  be  con- 
tinued. I  will  hear  nothing  further  about  peace." 

"In  that  case,"  said  General  von  Zastrow,  trembling,  "I 
must  humbly  request  your  majesty  to  accept  my  resignation; 
the  continuation  of  the  war,  and  the  rejection  of  the  peace 
offered  to  Prussia,  are  so  contrary  to  my  conviction,  that  my 
conscience  does  not  permit  me  to  assist  in  carrying  out  your 
plans." 

"  The  first  duty  of  every  faithful  servant  is  to  comply  with 
his  master's  orders,"  said  the  king,  sternly.  "I  cannot  ac- 
cept your  resignation,  for  I  know  that  you  are  an  honest  ser- 
vant, and  that  only  your  momentary  anger  has  misled  you. 
I  give  you,  therefore,  time  to  collect  your  thoughts  and  regain 
your  temper.  Work  and  activity  are  the  best  remedies  for 
that  purpose,  and  possibly  there  may  soon  be  a  favorable  turn 
in  our  affairs,  proving  to  you  that  you  were  wrong,  and  caus- 
ing you  to  change  your  mind.  Until  further  orders,  there- 
fore, you  will  remain  my  minister  of  war,  but  I  shall  give  you 
an  assistant.  I  shall  appoint  Ilardenberg  minister  without 
portfolio,  and  give  him  a  seat  and  vote  in  the  new  ministerial 
council  which  I  am  about  to  organize." 

General  von  Zastrow  started,  and  his  face  became  paler. 
"  Your  majesty,"  he  faltered  in  a  low  voice,  "  I — " 

"The  matter  is  settled,"  said  the  king,  calmly.  "  I  do  not 
wish  to  hear  further  objection,  general.  We  shall  hold  a 
meeting  of  the  ministerial  council  to-morrow,  and  Ilarden- 
berg must  be  present.  Good-by!" 

General  von  Zastrow  dared  not  contradict;  he  bowed  in 
silence  to  the  royal  couple  and  tottered  to  the  door. 


218  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA.  4 

When  he  had  retired,  the  queen,  turning  to  her  husband, 
exclaimed,  "  You  touched  his  sorest  spot.  He  hates  Harden- 
berg,  and  it  will  greatly  torment  him  to  have  him  at  his  side." 

"He  deserved  some  punishment,"  said  the  king,  gravely. 
"  For  it  was  certainly  owing  to  him  that  you  were  informed 
of  those  infamous  slanders.  Who  laid  the  papers  before  you?" 

"The  Countess  von  Truchsess,  my  reader." 

"Zastrow's  niece!  My  supposition  was  right.  It  was  a 
deep-laid  intrigue,  designed  to  drive  us  into  the  meshes  of  the 
peace  party,  and  induce  us  to  give  up  the  Eussian  alliance." 

"Do  not  be  angry  with  them,"  said  the  queen,  "their  in- 
tentions were  good." 

"I  know  the  good  intentions  of  those  so-called  friends," 
exclaimed  the  king,  vehemently.  "  They  drive  a  dagger 
slowly  into  our  breast,  and  when  they  see  the  wound  bleeding, 
they  excuse  themselves  with  the  pretext  that  their  intentions 
were  good !  But  he  who  has  really  honest  intentions  tries  to 
spare  his  friend  every  pain.  My  'intentions'  were  also  good 
when  I  concluded  to  place  Hardenberg  in  company  with  Zas- 
trow.  I  do  not  like  change;  but  if  Zastrow,  in  the  course  of 
a  few  weeks,  should  not  accustom  himself  to  the  presence  of 
Hardenberg,  he  must  withdraw,  and  Hardenberg  remain."  * 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

COUNTESS  MARY  WALEWSKA. 

NEWS  of  the  highest  importance  reached  Castle  Finken- 
stein,  where  Napoleon  had  been  residing  since  the  battle  of 
Eylau.  Dantzic  had  fallen.  It  had  been  compelled  to  sur- 
render, with  its  immense  materiel  and  supplies.  In  vain  had 
been  the  heroic  defence  of  the  garrison,  the  energy  of  General 
Kalkreuth,  commander  of  the  fortress,  the  ardor  and  courage 
of  the  soldiers,  the  unflagging  self-abnegation  of  the  citizens ; 
in  vain,  the  bloodshed,  the  mutilated  limbs,  the  destruction 

*  The  united  efforts  of  the  peace  party,  headed  by  General  Zastrow  and  Cabinet- 
counsellor  Beyme,  did  not  succeed  this  time  in  keeping  Hardenberg  out  of  the  cabinet. 
The  king  reposed  confidence  in  him,  and  when,  a  few  weeks  later,  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander paid  a  visit  to  the  royal  couple  at  Memel,  he  distinguished  Hardenberg,  and 
ignored  General  von  Zastrow  so  completely,  that  the  latter  was  deeply  offended. 
His  mortification  was  still  augmented  t>y  the  fact  that  Hardenberg  was  selected  to 
accompany  the  king  to  the  camp  of  the  united  Prussian  and  Russian  troops.  Gen- 
eral von  Zastrow  then  sent  in  his  resignation,  for  the  second  time,  and  it  was  ac- 
cepted. Hardenberg  became  minister  of  foreign  affairs  in  his  place. 


COUNTESS  MARY  WALEWSKA.  219 

of  property!  Lefebvre,  the  French  general,  had  drawn  the 
circle  of  his  besieging  forces  closer  around  the  devoted  city, 
and  fresh  troops  poured  into  his  ranks,  while  every  day  the 
garrison  was  becoming  weaker.  Only  the  most  vigorous  suc- 
cor could  have  saved  Dantzic.  General  Kalkreuth  had  long 
hoped  for  it.  England,  now  the  ally  of  Russia  and  Prussia, 
had  promised  aid,  and  equipped  a  sloop-of-war  of  twenty-two 
guns,  to  force  the  blockade,  convey  ammunition  into  the  city, 
and  destroy  the  pontoon-bridge  of  the  French ;  but  the  sloop 
stranded,  and  had  to  surrender.  The  Russians,  too,  had 
promised  assistance  to  the  city.  Seven  thousand  embarked  at 
Pillau,  and  landed  at  Weichselmiinde ;  but  there  they  were 
attacked  by  Oudinot,  who  captured  nearly  one-half,  and  dis- 
persed the  rest. 

The  last  hopes  of  Dantzic  were  gone;  there  was  no  relief. 
Lefebvre  ordered  a  bombardment,  and  then  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
to  General  Kalkreuth,  informing  him  that  he  would  take  the 
city  by  assault  if  the  fortress  did  not  surrender.  General 
Kalkreuth  gazed  mournfully  at  the  stranded  British  sloop-of- 
war,  and,  pointing  it  out  to  his  officers,  who  surrounded  him 
in  gloomy  silence,  said,  "That  is  the  tombstone  of  Dantzic!" 
lie  then  sent  for  the  bearer  of  the  flag  of  truce,  and  the 
negotiations  commenced.  In  the  mean  time,  shells  and  red- 
hot  shot  were  poured  into  the  city,  killing  alike  the  soldiers 
on  the  ramparts  and  the  citizens  in  their  dwellings.  Lamen- 
tations and  shrieks,  the  roar  of  artillery,  the  uninterrupted 
peals  of  the  tocsin,  calling  out  the  inhabitants,  mingled  with 
the  crash  of  the  falling  houses,  and  the  wails  of  the  wounded 
and  dying. 

General  Kalkreuth  pitied  the  city;  he  was  unwilling  to 
add  the  horrors  of  an  assault  to  the  agony  it  had  already 
undergone.  He  signed  the  capitulation,  but  claimed  for  the 
garrison  liberty  to  march  out  without  being  made  prisoners  of 
war,  and  the  surrender  of  their  arms.  Lefebvre  granted  these 
conditions,  but  insisted  that  the  Prussian  troops  should  not 
engage  to  serve  against  France  before  the  expiration  of  a  year. 
General  Kalkreuth  accepted  this  clause,  and  the  gates  of 
Dantzic  opened  to  the  French  conqueror  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1807. 

The  Emperor  Napoleon  received  the  news  of  this  great 
victory  at  Castle  Finkenstein,  not  far  from  Tilsit.  His  face 
brightened,  and  he  immediately  sent  a  courier  to  Marshal 
Lefebvre,  to  invite  him  to  pay  him  a  visit  at  the  castle.  But 


220  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  joy  of  the  emperor  soon  disappeared.  His  generals,  in- 
timate friends,  and  servants,  endeavored  to  cheer  him.  They 
tried  all  the  arts  of  eloquence  and  flattery  to  dispel  his  sad- 
ness. Talleyrand  attempted  to  amuse  him  by  reciting,  with 
charming  medisance  and  pointed  humor,  passages  from  the 
rich  stores  of  his  memoirs,  and  by  relating,  with  Attic  wit, 
the  story  of  his  first  love,  which  had  bequeathed  to  him  a 
lame  foot  as  a  remembrancer.  Lannes,  with  the  blunt  humor 
of  a  true  soldier,  told  stories  of  his  campaigns.  Duroc  smil- 
ingly reminded  the  emperor  of  many  an  adventure  they  had 
had  in  Paris,  when,  in  plain  gray  coats,  and  hats  drawn  over 
their  eyes,  they  had  wandered  through  the  streets  of  the  cap- 
ital, to  ascertain  the  disposition  of  the  people,  and  received 
many  a  rebuke  on  daring  to  abuse  Napoleon.  It  is  true,  the 
emperor  was  amused  on  hearing  such  anecdotes,  but  his 
momentary  laughter  revealed  more  vividly  his  dark  and 
stormy  temper. 

To-day  the  generals  resorted  to  another  method  also  of 
amusing  him.  They  proposed  cards.  He  agreed,  and  they 
commenced  a  game  of  vingt-et-un.  Formerly,  the  emperor, 
on  playing,  had  always  been  in  excellent  spirits,  and  did  not 
disdain  even  to  cheat  a  little,  frequently  concealing  a  card  or 
two.  But  now  he  played  gravely  and  honestly,  and  the  con- 
sequence was  that  he  lost.  Throwing  the  cards  indignantly 
aside,  and  greeting  the  marshals  with  a  silent  nod,  he  crossed 
the  room  with  hasty  steps,  and  retired  to  his  cabinet. 

"He  has  not  yet  forgotten  the  affair  of  Eylau,"  grumbled 
Marshal  Lannes.  "  It  is  true,  we  boasted  of  our  victory  there, 
and  ordered  a  Te  Deum  to  be  sung,  but  he  knows  very  well 
how  things  stood,  and  feels  badly  because  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  also  had  a  Te  Deum  sung." 

"  I  do  not  believe,  Marshal,  that  that  is  tbe  cause  of  the 
emperor's  grief,"  said  Talleyrand,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"  Napoleon  is  not  in  the  habit  of  mourning  for  past  events, 
but  a  failure  incites  him  to  renewed  exertions,  and  inspires 
his  genius  to  perform  fresh  and  daring  exploits.  Although 
the  lion  for  once  may  have  seen  his  prey  slip  from  his  grasp, 
it  does  not  render  him  dispirited.  He  only  shakes  his  mane, 
and  crouches  for  a  new  bound." 

"  Then  you  believe,  M.  Minister,  that  the  emperor  is  plan- 
ning another  battle?"  joyfully  asked  Lannes. 

"  I  am  convinced  of  it,  but  do  not  believe  that  to  be  the 
reason  of  his  ill-humor.  The  furrows  on  his  brow  express  his 


COUNTESS  MARY  WALEWSKA.  221 

sorrow  for  the  death  of  young  Napoleon — his  little  nephew — 
the  grandson  of  the  empress !" 

"Ah,  bah!"  exclaimed  Lannes,  "it  would  really  be  worth 
while  for  a  great  chieftain  to  mourn  for  a  child  eight  years  of 
age!" 

"-He  does  not  mourn  for  the  child,  but  for  the  successor," 
said  Talleyrand.  "  You  know,  the  son  of  his  brother  Louis 
and  his  stepdaughter  Hortense  was  to  be  his  heir — the  future 
Emperor  of  France.  You  see  how  difficult  it  is  to  say  in  ad- 
vance who  is  to  be  the  heir  of  a  throne.  Some  accident — a 
brick  falling  from  a  roof,  an  attack  of  the  measles,  a  con- 
temptible cough — may  bring  about  the  ruin  of  dynasties  and 
the  rise  of  new  ones.  The  hopes  of  Josephine  have  been 
buried  with  young  Napoleon  Louis.  Poor  empress!  her 
downfall  is  inevitable,  for  the  emperor  must  think  henceforth 
of  an  heir — of  a  legitimate  union.  Alas!  how  many  tears  will 
that  cost  poor  Josephine's  heart!" 

"  I  am  sure,  Prince  de  Benevento,  when  you  deplore  the 
fate  of  the  empress,  you  suggest  great  sufferings  for  her.  But 
we  know  the  subtle  diplomacy  of  the  minister  who  says  that 
language  was  given  for  the  sole  purpose  of  concealing  our 
thoughts.  Hence,  prince,  I  am  in  the  habit  of  believing  ex- 
actly the  reverse  of  what  you  say.  You  are  sure  to  overthrow 
Josephine  and  have  already  selected  her  successor.  Tell  us 
who  is  she?  Upon  whom  do  you  intend  to  confer  the  honor 
of  giving  an  heir  to  the  emperor?" 

"Let  us  rather  put  this  question  to  our  taciturn  friend 
Duroc,"  said  Talleyrand,  softly  laying  his  hand  on  the  shoul- 
der of  the  grand  marshal,  who  was  standing  in  front  of  them 
with  folded  arms.  "  Please  take  notice  that  the  grand  mar- 
shal has  not  added  a  single  word  to  our  conversation — that  he 
has  listened  calmly  to  our  suppositions  about  the  emperor's 
melancholy,  and  has  not  assisted  us  in  ferreting  out  the  truth. 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  he  is  aware  of  it,  and  that  it 
does  not  affect  him  painfully.  Pray  tell  us,  grand  marshal, 
who  is  right — the  Duke  de  Montebello  or  myself?" 

"Perhaps,  prince,  both  of  you  are  mistaken,"  said  Duroc, 
"  and  perhaps,  again,  both  of  you  are  right.  Who  is  able  to 
fathom  the  thoughts  and  secrets — but  I  believe  the  emperor 
is  calling  me!"  And  he  approached  the  door  of  the  imperial 
cabinet  and  listened. 

"Duroc!"  cried  the  emperor,  "Duroc!" 

The  grand  marshal  took  leave  of  the  two  gentlemen  with  a 


222  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

careless  bow  and  hastened  away.  Napoleon  sat  on  an  easy- 
chair  at  the  open  window,  supporting  his  head  on  his  hand, 
and  gazing  out  on  the  landscape.  He  seemed  to  have  entirely 
forgotten  that  he  had  called  the  grand  marshal,  and  did  not 
even  notice  the  latter  after  he  had  entered.  An  air  of  pro- 
found sadness  was  depicted  in  his  features. 

"Your  majesty  called  me,"  said  Duroc,  approaching. 

Napoleon  started  and  turned  his  head  slowly  toward  the 
grand  marshal.  "It  is  true,"  he  said,  "I  called  you,  Duroc. 
I  was  ungracious,  and  left  you  without  saying  a  kind  word  to 
you.  I  am  sorry.  You  may  repeat  my  words  to  the  other 
two  princes."  He  gave  his  small  white  hand  to  Duroc,  who 
pressed  it  against  his  breast  with  an  expression  of  tenderness. 
"  I  thank  your  majesty  for  this  fresh  proof  of  your  magna- 
nimity," he  said,  "  and  shall  communicate  it  to  the  other  two 
princes." 

He  was  about  to  withdraw,  but  the  emperor  detained  him. 
"Tell  me,  first,  Duroc,  whether  they  were  very  angry  with 
me?  Did  old  Lannes  grumble?  Did  Talleyrand  comment 
in  his  usual  manner?" 

"Oh,  sire!"  exclaimed  Duroc,  reproachfully,  "all  three  of 
us  were  filled  only  with  grief;  we  were  considering  what 
might  be  the  cause  of  your  majesty's  melancholy." 

"  Well,  and  what  did  you  guess?  and  what  Lannes?" 

"  He  believed  your  majesty  was  striving  to  crown  the  battle 
of  Eylau  with  a  brilliant  victory,  and  that  you  were  planning 
a  new  battle." 

"He  is  right,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  energetically.  "We 
are  not  yet  at  the  end  of  our  struggle,  and  the  brave  men  who 
were  buried  under  the  snow  of  Eylau  must  be  avenged.  I 
shall  soon  bid  the  sun  of  Austerlitz  and  Jena  shine  on  the 
plains  of  Prussia,  and  dazzle  the  eyes  of  the  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia. I  will  bring  him  to  his  knees  and  make  him  cry  '  Pater 
peccavi ! '  I  will  show  him  what  it  is  to  menace  me ;  and 
when  I  unfurl  my  banner  on  the  Kremlin  of  Moscow,  Alex- 
ander shall  bear  the  train  of  my  purple  cloak.  The  world  be- 
longs to  me!  Woe  unto  him  who  stands  in  my  way — I  will 
crush  him.  as  the  elephant  crushes  the  worm!  Lannes  is 
right ;  I  am  planning  a  new  battle.  But  it  is  not  this  that 
makes  me  sad.  What  did  Talleyrand  say — Talleyrand,  Prince 
de  Benevento,  with  the  keen  nose  and  the  impenetrable 
smile?" 

"  Talleyrand  said  it  was  not  the  planning  of  future  battles, 


COUNTESS  MAKY  WALEWSKA.  223 

but  that  yon  were  monrning  for  the  little  son  of  the  King  of 
Holland." 

"Ah,  indeed,  Talleyrand  is  not  altogether  mistaken,"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  heaving  a  sigh ;  "my  heart  is  mourning 
for  young  Napoleon.  He  was  my  darling,  and  I  had  accus- 
tomed myself  to  regard  him  as  my  heir.  He  was  blood  of  my 
blood,  and  there  was  something  shining  in  his  eyes  that 
seemed  to  me  to  be  a  beam  of  my  own  mind.  I  loved  the  boy. 
And  now — what  did  Talleyrand  say  besides,  Duroc?"  asked 
Napoleon,  interrupting  himself.  "  You  are  silent.  Be  frank ; 
I  want  to  know  it  all!" 

"Sire,"  said  Duroc,  timidly,  "the  Prince  de  Benevento 
lamented  the  fate  of  the  empress,  for  he  believes  the  death  of 
little  Prince  Napoleon  Louis  to  be  a  mournful — nay,  a  fatal 
event  for  her,  inasmuch  as  your  majesty  would  now  be  under 
the  necessity  of  having  a  successor  to  the  noble  and  adored 
Empress  Josephine,  and  an  heir-apparent  to  your  empire." 

"And  he  was  impudent  enough  to  lament  her  fate!"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  "  he  who  has  striven  for  years  to  overthrow 
her — he  who  always  united  with  my  family  to  prove  to  me  the 
right  of  disowning  her.  Ah,  poor  dear  Josephine!  I  ought 
never  to  have  thought  of  listening  to  their  insinuations;  I  was 
hitherto  her  most  faithful  defender,  for  I  love  her,  and  know 
that  she  is  a  sincere  friend." 

"An  empress,  sire,"  said  Dnroc,  "who  would  be  an  orna- 
ment to  any  throne,  and  whose  grace,  amiability,  and  kind- 
heartedness,  have  won  as  many  subjects  for  your  majesty  as 
your  battles.  Sire,  all  France  loves  and  worships  the  Em- 
press Josephine;  all  France  would  weep  with  her  if  her 
enemies  succeed  in  removing  her  from  her  throne,  and  from 
the  side  of  her  adored  husband,  and  the  tears  and  impreca- 
tions of  a  whole  people  would  be  the  festive  welcome  with 
which  France  would  receive  a  new  empress!" 

"You  paint  in  very  glaring  colors,"  exclaimed  Napoleon, 
gloomily,  "but,  then,  I  know  you  to  be  one  of  Josephine's 
admirers.  She  is  really  a  good  wife,  and  I  never  had  room 
for  complaint.  But  for  one  consideration,  I  should  never 
think  of  separating  from  her.  Fate  is  against  her,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  will  compel  me — ah,  let  us  not  dare  to  pry  into  the 
future.  Let  us  rather  attend  to  the  present.  You  have  told 
me  the  suppositions  of  Lannes  and  Talleyrand,  but  not  your 
own.  What  did  you  say?"  He  looked  at  Duroc  with  his 
eagle  eyes,  and  repeated,  "  What  did  you  say?" 


224  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Sire,"  replied  Duroc,  "I  said  nothing." 

"You  said  nothing,  because  you  know  what  ails  me,"  said 
Napoleon,  vehemently,  "  because  you  can  fathom  the  pain, 
the  anger,  and  grief  of  my  heart!" 

He  rose  from  his  easy-chair,  and  paced  the  room,  with  his 
arms  behind  him.  "  Duroc,"  he  said,  after  a  long  pause,  and 
in  a  husky,  tremulous  voice,  "  is  it  not  a  disgrace  that  this 
should  happen?  The  world  is  bowing  to  me,  and  recognizing 
me  as  its  master,  and  a  woman  dares  resist  me — a  fair,  deli- 
cate little  creature  that  I  could  crush,  as  it  were,  in  my 
hands — that  an  angry  breath  from  my  mouth  could  destroy  as 
a  lily  in  the  blast  of  the  desert.  Duroc,  she  dares  resist  me, 
and  opposes  a  cold,  stubborn  silence  to  my  request — nay,  to 
my  fervent  supplications!" 

"Sire,  she  is  married,"  said  Duroc,  timidly,  "she  is  mar- 
ried, and — " 

"  She  is  married  to  a  husband  whom  she  does  not — cannot 
love,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  impetuously.  "  He  is  a  white- 
haired  old  man — a  man  of  sixty  years,  to  whom  her  parents 
have  sold  her!" 

"  But  her  husband  is  said  to  love  his  beautiful  wife  passion- 
ately." 

"Let  him  dare  molest  her  with  his  love,"  exclaimed  Na- 
poleon, menacingly ;  "  let  him  touch  only  with  the  tip  of  his 
finger  this  flower  that  I  myself  would  have !  She  has  not  de- 
served the  sorry  fate  of  withering  at  the  side  of  a  decrepit  old 
man;  she  serves  to  bloom  at  the  heart  of  an  emperor!  Oh, 
how  beautiful  she  is!  When  I  saw  her,  for  the  first  time,  at 
the  ball  in  Warsaw,  I  fell  in  love  with  her,  and  felt  that  I 
must  possess  her.  Her  light-colored  hair  was  shining  about 
her  noble  head  like  a  halo ;  heaven  seemed  to  be  reflected  in 
her  azure  eyes,  and  the  tinge  of  melancholy  shading  her  face 
rendered  her  still  more  charming  and  seductive.  She  was  an 
innocent  victim  of  the  selfishness  of  others;  I  perceived  it  at 
a  glance,  and  have  loved  her  ever  since.  I  took  a  secret  oath 
to  rescue  her  from  her  misery,  and,  by  my  love,  to  restore 
happiness  to  her!  And  yet  she  disdains  me,  Duroc!" 

"  No,  sire,  she  does  not  disdain  the  exalted  lover  whom  she 
worships;  she  is  not,  however,  a  flirt,  but  a  virtuous  wife. 
She  will  not  prove  faithless  to  her  husband ;  she  will  not  break 
the  vows  she  took  upon  herself  at  the  altar.  She  is  engaged 
in  a  terrible  struggle  between  duty  and  love,  for  your  majesty 
knows  very  well  that  Madame  de  Walewska  loves  you!" 


COUNTESS  MARY  WALEWSKA.  225 

"No,  no,  she  does  not  love  me,"  exclaimed  Napoleon, 
vehemently.  "  If  she  really  loved  me,  she  would  listen  to  no 
other  voice  than  mine!  I  supplicated  her  with  the  whole 
strength  of  my  affection — with  all  the  anger  of  a  spurned  ad- 
mirer, with  all  the  humility  of  a  doting  lover,  but  neither  my 
anger  nor  my  supplications  were  able  to  move  her.  And  yet 
she  asserts  that  she  loves  me ;  she  dares  to  say  that  she  shares 
my  passion!  Oh,  she  is  a  cold-hearted,  cruel  coquette;  it 
gladdens  her  to  behold  my  sufferings,  and  to  play  with  my 
heart!" 

"Sire,  you  are  unjust,"  exclaimed  Duroc.  "Madame  de 
Walewska  is  an  angel  of  virtue  and  purity ;  she  would  joyfully 
sacrifice  her  life  to  save  your  majesty  a  sigh!" 

"  But  she  is  unwilling  to  sacrifice  to  me  this  chimera  of 
virtue,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "although  she  has  already  dis- 
regarded it  by  loving  me.  She  is  not  courageous  enough  to 
give  up  the  semblance  after  having  already  parted  with  the 
substance.  Like  all  women  she  is  timid,  and  incapable  of  a 
great  resolution!  How  many  letters  have  I  not  written  to  her 
since  I  last  saw  her !  After  the  battle  of  Eylau — like  a  miser- 
able adventurer — a  knight-errant — I  went  in  disguise  to  the 
village  where  she  had  at  length  promised  to  meet  me  at  her 
brother's  house.  What  a  wretched  rendezvous  it  was!  Noth- 
ing but  a  farewell  scene!  She  desires  to  go  into  a  convent, 
and  give  her  heart  to  God,  because  she  is  not  allowed  to 
give  it  to  me.  I  am  no  Abelard,  however,  and  do  not  want 
her  to  become  a  Heloise!  If  she  goes  into  a  convent,  I 
shall  have  its  walls  torn  down,  and  the  order  she  has  joined 
abolished." 

"  But  she  will  not  go  into  a  convent,  sire;  love  will  at  last 
triumph  over  her  virtue,  and  she  will  finally  declare  herself 
vanquished.  She  promised  your  majesty  to  defer  the  execu- 
tion of  her  purpose  for  a  year,  but,  I  am  sure,  she  will  not  be 
strong  enough  to  close  her  heart  so  long  against  the  passionate 
entreaties  of  a  lover  whom  she  adores.  The  letters  which  your 
majesty  writes  to  her,  and  which  she  does  not  refuse  to  ac- 
cept, are  like  hot  shells  thrown  into  the  fortress  of  her  heart. 
They  do  a  great  deal  of  mischief." 

"  Forsooth,  it  is  a  consolation  that  she  does  not  refuse  my 
notes.  I  have  sent  them  almost  every  day  during  two 
months;  every  week  I  send  a  courier  who  meets  her  when, 
escaping  from  the  Argus-eyes  of  her  husband,  she  goes  to  the 
cathedral.  But  I  receive  only  laconic  replies.  This  woman 


226  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

is  either  incapable  of  genuine  love,  or  she  is  a  demon  who  de- 
lights in  torturing  me." 

"Sire,  does  it  please  your  majesty  to  partake  of  this  fruit?" 
said  a  gentle  voice  behind  him. 

The  emperor  started.  Absorbed  in  his  passion — filled  with 
the  idea  now  agitating  his  soul,  he  had  not  heard  the  door  of 
the  cabinet  softly  open,  and  was  unaware  that  one  of  the  im- 
perial pages,  holding  a  golden  fruit-plate,  had  entered. 
Duroc  also  had  not  noticed  that  he  was  present  while  the  em- 
peror was  still  speaking,  and  that  he  must  have  overheard  the 
last  words  of  his  majesty.  The  page  leaned,  pale  and  ex- 
hausted, against  the  wall  near  the  door,  and  the  golden  plate 
was  trembling  in  his  hands. 

Napoleon  cast  a  glowing  glance  on  him,  and  rushing  toward 
him,  snatched  the  plate  and  threw  it  on  the  floor.  As  the 
peaches  rolled  across  the  room,  he  seized  the  page's  arms,  and 
drew  him  toward  the  window.  "Who  are  you?"  he  asked, 
scarcely  able  to  master  his  emotion.  "  Who  are  you?  Speak, 
that  I  may  hear  your  voice!" 

The  page  looked  in  his  face,  aglow  with  anger,  and  his 
large  blue  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  I  am  a  demon  who  delights 
in  torturing  3:ou,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

Napoleon  did  not  utter  a  word.  He  tore  the  velvet  cap 
from  the  page's  head,  and  when  his  long  silken  hair  fell  on 
his  shoulders  in  heavy  masses,  a  smile  of  unutterable  bliss 
overspread  the  emperor's  face.  He  seized  the  fair  ringlets 
with  his  hands  and  kissed  them ;  he  laid  them  on  his  own 
head,  and  they  covered  his  face  like  a  golden  veil.  He  then 
shook  them  off  with  a  merry  laugh,  and  encircled  the  page  so 
violently  in  his  arms,  that  he  uttered  a  cry.  "  Mary,  Mary," 
he  exclaimed  passionately,  "  you  are  in  my  arms  at  last — you 
are  here !  Duroc,  just  look  at  this  wonderful  page.  Come 
here,  and  look  at  the  angel  I  slandered  just  now!" 

But  Duroc  did  not  appear.  He  preferred  to  move  quietly 
out  of  the  room  and  to  lock  the  door  after  him.  Napoleon, 
therefore,  was  alone  with  his  mistress,  and  thanked  Duroc  in 
his  heart  for  this  discretion.  He  clasped  the  weeping  and 
blushing  lady  in  his  arms,  and  tried  with  gentle  force  to  re- 
move her  hands,  in  which  she  had  buried  her  face.  "  Mary," 
he  asked,  in  a  tone  of  suppliant  tenderness,  "  Mary,  you  weep, 
and  yet  you  say  you  love  me?" 

"  Yes,  I  do  love  you,"  she  exclaimed,  sinking  on  her  knees. 
"  I  love  you  intensely !  Ah,  have  mercy  on  me !  Do  not  con- 


COUNTESS  MARY  WALEWSKA.  227 

demn  me  because  I  come  hither  in  spite  of  mj  conscience  and 
my  honor!  Napoleon,  I  have  no  longer  any  thing  on  earth 
but  you  1  I  have  no  longer  a  country,  a  family,  a  name !  I 
gave  up  every  thing  for  you — my  life,  my  honor,  my  happi- 
ness, are  yours!  Remember  it,  and  do  not  despise  me!" 

He  raised  her  from  her  knees  and  pressed  a  kiss  on  her 
quivering  lips  "Mary,"  he  said,  "this  kiss  shall  have  the 
same  effect  upon  you  as  of  old  the  gift  of  knighthood  had  on 
the  warrior — it  will  impart  to  you  a  higher  and  more  sacred 
life,  and  confer  the  highest  honor  on  you!  Henceforth  you 
are  mine,  and  shall  be  as  immortal  as  myself;  and  when  pos- 
terity mentions  the  name  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  it  shall 
at  the  same  time  remember  his  beautiful  mistress,  and  repeat 
the  name  of  Mary  Walewska  together  with  that  of  Josephine!" 

"Oh,"  murmured  Mary,  "you  mention  the  noble  and 
generous  Empress  Josephine,  whom  I  worship,  and  against 
whom  I  am  committing  a  crime!  May  fate  enable  me  to 
atone  for  my  guilt  one  day  by  sacrificing  my  life  for  you,  and 
proving  to  you  and  to  the  world  that  I  loved  you  truly  and 
faithfully." 

"No,  you  shall  live — live  for  me,"  said  Napoleon,  ardently; 
"do  not  complain  any  more,  Mary;  dry  your  beautiful  eyes. 
Come,  sit  down  with  me  and  tell  me  how  it  happened  that 
you  conquered  your  heart,  and  why  I  see  you  in  this  dis- 
guise?" He  drew  her  to  the  divan  and  wound  his  arm  around 
her  waist.  She  laid  her  head  on  his  shoulder,  and  gazed  up 
to  him  with  dreamy  eyes. 

"  How  it  happened?"  she  asked.  "  I  cannot  find  words  to 
tell  you.  I  reenacted  the  part  of  Penelope.  Every  night  I 
tried  to  fasten  a  coat  of  mail  around  my  heart — to  protect  it 
as  with  a  net-work  of  virtue  and  duty.  But  your  letters  were 
the  wooers  that  destroyed  in  the  day  the  resolutions  of  the 
night.  Your  complaints  rent  my  heart;  your  reproaches  tor- 
tured my  soul.  I  felt  at  last  that  I  was  irretrievably  lost — 
that  I  loved  you  boundlessly,  and  that  I  was  anxious  to  prove 
it  to  you.  But  my  husband  watched  me  with  lynx-eyed  vigi- 
lance ;  he  was  constantly  at  my  side,  now  threatening,  in  the 
fury  of  his  jealousy,  to  assassinate  me  should  I  leave  him,  and 
now  imploring  me  with  tearful  eyes  to  spare  his  honor  and 
pity  his  love.  I  felt  that  I  would  have  either  to  die,  or  re- 
nounce my  married  life,  and  enter  upon  a  new  existence — an 
existence  of  true  happiness  if  you  love  me,  but  of  suffering 
and  self-reproach  if  you  despise  me!" 


228  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"I  love  you,"  said  Napoleon,  with  a  proud  and  confident 
air.  "Proceed." 

"I  have  finished,"  she  said.  "My  trusty  lady's  maid  pre- 
pared every  thing  for  my  escape,  and  four  days  ago,  when  my 
husband  believed  me  at  church,  I  and  my  maid  entered  a 
travelling-coach  and  continued  our  journey  day  and  night 
until  we  arrived  at  Castle  Finkenstein. " 

"And  this  disguise?"  asked  Napoleon,  pointing  at  the  cos- 
tume she  was  wearing. 

Mary  blushed  and  smiled.  "  I  had  it  made  by  a  tailor  at 
Warsaw,  who  prepared  the  suits  the  imperial  pages  wore  at 
that  ball.  I  had  not  sufficient  courage  to  enter  this  castle  as 
a  lady,  only  men  living  in  it  at  the  present  time.  I  desired 
to  enter  your  room  without  recognition  or  insult.  I  left  my 
carriage  at  the  neighboring  village,  and  walked  hither  on 
foot.  At  the  castle-gate,  I  inquired  for  Constant,  your  valet 
de  chambre,  and  requested  the  servants  to  call  him.  I  con- 
fided my  secret  to  him,  and  he  conducted  me  to  this  room. 
And  thus,  my  beloved  friend,  I  am  here;  I  am  lying  at  your 
feet,  and  imploring  you  to  kill  me  if  you  do  not  love  me,  for 
I  cannot  live  without  your  love!"  She  glided  from  the  divan 
to  the  floor,  and  looked  up  to  the  emperor  with  clasped  hands 
and  imploring  eyes. 

Napoleon  bent  over  her  and  drew  her  smilingly  into  his 
arms.  "  You  shall  live,"  he  said,  "  for  I  love  you  and  pledge 
you  my  imperial  word  that  I  will  never  desert  you!" 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE     DANTZIC    CHOCOLATE. 

ON  the  following  day  the  emperor's  face  did  not  retain  a 
trace  of  the  gloom  which  had  filled  his  marshals  with  so  much 
uneasiness.  His  features  were  radiant  with  happiness,  and  a 
strange  fire  was  burning  in  his  dark-blue  eyes.  He  ordered 
his  guard  to  be  drawn  up  in  line  in  the  castle-yard,  and  to  the 
delight  of  the  soldiers  it  was  announced  that  Napoleon  himself 
would  command  at  the  parade.  Loud  cheers  and  the  con- 
stantly-repeated shout  of  "  Vive  Vempereur!"  received  him 
when,  surrounded  by  his  marshals,  and  with  a  smiling  face, 
he  walked  down  the  broad  steps  of  the  palace. 

"These  soldiers  are  foolish  children,"  said  he,  turning  to 


THE  DANTZIG  CHOCOLATE.  229 

Marshal  Lannes.  "  Why  are  they  cheering  incessantly,  as  if 
they  had  not  seen  me  for  a  year?  Have  I  not  been  among 
them  every  day?" 

"No,  sire,"  said  the  marshal,  who  had  regained  his  former 
good-humor  and  merry  face,  "  no,  sire ;  those  brave  boys 
really  have  not  seen  your  majesty  for  a  long  while,  and  they 
are  perfectly  right  to  manifest  their  joy.  The  great  Na- 
poleon, whose  face  was  our  sun  in  so  many  battles  and  in  so 
many  countries,  and  whose  smile,  when  we  were  hungry  and 
thirsty,  often  satisfied  our  hunger  and  quenched  our  thirst, 
really  was  not  here.  In  his  place  we  have  had  during  the 
last  few  weeks  a  grave  and  taciturn  emperor,  whom  every  one 
feared." 

Napoleon  laughed.  "  Were  you  also  afraid,  my  old  com- 
rade?" he  asked. 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  was,"  said  Lannes,  gayly,  "  but,  never- 
theless, I  feel  to-day  as  though  a  heavy  burden  had  been  re- 
moved from  my  heart.  I  can  breathe  more  freely,  inasmuch 
as  I  have  back  my  excellent  Napoleon  in  place  of  that  morose 
emperor.  The  sun  has  risen  once  more  for  all  of  us!" 

"  Was  I  really  as  you  pretend?"  asked  Napoleon,  who  was 
always  delighted  at  the  unceremonious  words  of  his  old  com- 
rade, and  whyo  permitted  to  Lannes  that  bluntnesa  which  he 
would  not  have  tolerated  in  another. 

The  marshal  bent  closer  to  the  emperor's  ear.  "  Sire,  your 
majesty  will  permit  me  to  tell  you  that  you  were  shockingly 
morose  and  surly.  We  were  beginning  to  feel  anxious  and 
weary.  But  it  is  all  over  now,  and  when  I  look  at  you  to-day 
my  heart  is  as  glad  as  that  of  a  lover  who  sees  his  sweetheart 
after  a  long  separation.  I  should  like  to  know  what  miracle 
has  happened  since  yesterday,  and  what  magician  has  arrived 
to  dispel  your  discontent.  I  should  be  exceedingly  grateful 
to  your  majesty  if  you  would  show  him  to  me!" 

"What  an  inquisitive  fellow!"  said  the  emperor,  turning 
his  eyes  involuntarily  to  the  window  of  the  castle,  lie  nodded 
almost  imperceptibly,  and  laid  his  hand  on  his  heart  for  a 
moment.  The  marshal's  eyes  had  followed  the  glances  of  hia 
master,  and  he  beheld  a  strange  object  at  one  of  the  windows 
of  the  emperor's  rooms.  The  curtain  was  cautiously  drawn 
aside,  and  the  beautiful  head  of  a  young  lady  was  seen  be- 
hind it. 

" Mort  de  ma  vie!"  ejaculated  Lannes,  loudly  and  impet- 
uously. 


230  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Well,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked  Napoleon,  turning 
hastily  to  him. 

Lannes  was  still  staring  up  at  the  window ;  but  the  charm- 
ing person  had  already  disappeared,  and  the  curtains  were 
closed  again. 

"Sire,"  faltered  Lannes,  in  confusion,  "sire,  I  believe  I 
myself  am  bewitched;  I  beheld  an  apparition  just  now." 

"Did  your  good  wife  appear  to  you?"  asked  Napoleon, 
laughing. 

"Would  she  were  such  a  fair-haired  angel!"  exclaimed 
Lannes,  heaving  a  sigh.  "  But  in  that  case,  sire,  I  should 
very  earnestly  oppose  her  appearance  at  the  windows  of  the 
imperial  rooms — " 

"Hush,  you  old  babbler!"  said  Napoleon,  laughing;  "is  it 
necessary,  then,  to  confess  every  thing  one  has  dreamed?" 
And,  as  he  liked  to  do  when  in  good -humor,  he  pulled  the 
marshal's  ear  so  violently  that  Lannes  made  a  very  wry  face. 

The  emperor  turned  with  a  grave  bearing  to  his  soldiers, 
and  the  parade  commenced.  After  it  was  over,  he  repaired  to 
the  castle,  to  work  with  his  adjutant-general  in  his  cabinet. 
Before  doing  so,  however,  he  said  to  Marshal  Lannes :  "  I 
wish  you  to  dine  with  me  to-day,  and  to-night  I  will  play  a 
game  of  vingt-et-un  with  you,  Talleyrand,  and  Duroc;  I  must 
get  even  with  you  for  yesterday.  Do  not  forget,  marshal — 
we  shall  dine  together  to-day!" 

"  Sire,"  said  Lannes,  joyfully,  "were  you  to  place  a  dish  of 
the  boiled  ears  of  the  Russians  before  me,  I  would  eat  them 
with  great  relish  if  you  look  at  me  as  kindly  as  you  are  doing 
now!" 

Napoleon  laughed  and  ascended  the  palace  staircase.  An 
hour  later  a  dusty  carriage  rolled  into  the  yard  of  Castle 
Finkenstein.  It  was  Marshal  Lefebvre,  who,  agreeably  to  the 
emperor's  invitation,  had  arrived.  The  marshal  felt  some- 
what embarrassed  and  anxious.  This  order  of  Napoleon  to 
set  out  immediately  on  receipt  of  the  dispatch,  and  repair  to 
his  headquarters  at  Finkenstein,  had  filled  the  conqueror  of 
Dantzic  with  some  apprehension,  lest  the  emperor  had  sum- 
moned him  to  rebuke  him  for  having  granted  such  honorable 
terms  to  the  Prussian  garrison,  and  for  permitting  them  to 
march  out  with  their  arms,  instead  of  making  them  prisoners 
of  war.  The  marshal  therefore  entered  the  anteroom  with  a 
face  somewhat  pale,  and  requested  the  officer  in  waiting  to 
announce  him. 


THE  DANTZIC  CHOCOLATE.  231 

"His  majesty  is  at  work  in  his  cabinet,"  said  the  officer. 
"  On  such  occasions  no  one  is  permitted  to  disturb  him,  unless 
he  be  a  bearer  of  important  dispatches." 

"  The  emperor  ordered  me  to  report  to  him  immediately  on 
my  arrival.  Go,  therefore,  and  announce  me."  The  officer 
obeyed  hesitatingly. 

Napoleon  was  seated  at  a  desk  covered  with  maps  and  papers. 
Pointing  at  a  map  spread  out  on  the  table,  he  was  just  turning 
eagerly  to  his  adjutant-general,  Marshal  Berthier.  "Here — 
this  is  the  point  whither  we  have  to  drive  the  Russians;  and 
there,  on  the  banks  of  the  Alle,  they  shall  fearfully  atone  for 
the  battle  of  Eylau.  Well,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  officer 
who  had  just  entered,  "  what  do  you  want?" 

"Sire,  Marshal  Lefebvre  asks  your  majesty  to  grant  him  an 
audience.  He  says  your  majesty  summoned  him  here  from 
Dantzic. " 

"  He  is  right,"  said  Napoleon,  "  and  I  am  glad  that  the 
duke  does  not  keep  me  in  waiting.  Tell  the  Duke  of  Dantzic 
that  he  is  to  dine  with  me." 

"Sire,"  said  the  officer,  "it  is  not  a  Duke  of  Dantzic,  but 
Marshal  Lefebvre,  who  applies  for  an  audience." 

The  emperor  darted  one  of  his  withering  glances  at  him. 
"It  seems,  sir,"  he  said  gravely,  "that  you  deem  me  inca- 
pable of  creating  a  duke.  Go,"  he  added,  "and  inform  the 
duke  of  my  invitation.  In  fifteen  minutes  we  shall  dine." 

The  officer  returned  to  the  anteroom.  "Well?"  asked 
Lefebvre,  quickly.  "Does  the  emperor  await  me?  May  I 
enter?" 

"  Duke,  his  majesty  invites  you  to  dine  with  him,  and  re- 
quests you  to  wait  only  fifteen  minutes." 

Lefebvre,  in  his  confusion,  had  not  heard  the  title  by  which 
he  was  addressed.  His  mind  was  absorbed  in  the  single 
thought  whether  or  not  the  emperor  was  angry  with  him. 
He  wished  these  fifteen  minutes  to  pass  quickly,  and  yet  his 
heart  trembled  at  what  might  be  in  store  for  him.  Precisely 
at  the  time  appointed  Grand  Marshal  Duroc  entered  to  con- 
duct Marshal  Lefebvre  to  the  dining-room.  Lefebvre  followed 
in  silence.  The  heart  of  the  brave  soldier  beat  more  violently 
than  it  had  ever  done  in  the  battle-field. 

The  emperor  had  already  taken  his  seat  when  Duroc  and 
Lefebvre  entered.  Near  him,  behind  their  chairs,  stood 
Marshal  Lannes,  the  Prince  de  Benevento,  and  Marshal 
Berthier.  Napoleon  greeted  Lefebvre  with  a  friendly  wave 


232  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

of  his  hand.  "Welcome,  duke,"  he  exclaimed,  " sit  down 
here  at  my  side!" 

Lefebvre  advanced  and  took  the  seat  his  majesty  desig- 
nated. The  others  sat  down  also.  Dinner  commenced :  Na- 
poleon ate  his  soup  in  silence,  as  he  always  did.  Fixing  his 
eyes  with  a  smiling  expression  on  a  large  pie,  in  the  shape  of 
a  fortress,  that  was  standing  before  him,  "  Do  you  recognize 
this,  Duke  of  Dantzic?"  he  asked. 

Lefebvre  heard  the  ducal  title  this  time,  and  looked  be- 
wildered at  the  emperor,  whose  anger  he  still  feared.  "  Did 
your  majesty  speak  to  me?"  he  asked,  bashfully. 

"  To  be  sure ;  did  I  not  address  you  with  the  title  of  Duke 
of  Dantzic?"  replied  Napoleon,  laughing.  "Well,  tell  me, 
now,  do  you  know  the  fortress  which  this  pie  is  intended  to 
represent?" 

"  I  believe,"  said  the  new  duke,  "  the  fortress  of  Dantzic." 

"  See,  gentlemen,  how  familiar  the  duke  is  with  his  dear 
Dantzic,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "It  is  true,  he  ought  to 
know  it,  for  he  had  to  take  extraordinary  pains  to  reduce  it. 
Now  let  us  eat  little  Dantzic  as  Lefebvre  ate  big  Dantzic  a 
few  days  ago." 

The  steward  took  the  pie  and  presented  it  to  the  emperor. 
"Oh,  no,"  said  Napoleon,  with  a  pleasant  smile;  "Duke  of 
Dantzic,  it  behooves  you  to  carve  it,  for  it  is  your  con- 
quest." 

Lefebvre's  face  beamed  with  joy,  and  he  thanked  the  em- 
peror with  a  grateful  look.  "  Sire,"  he  said,  almost  solemnly, 
plunging  his  knife  into  the  pie,  "  I  should  like  to  be  com- 
missioned soon  by  your  majesty  to  take  another  fortress.  I 
should  then  remember  this  hour,  and  take  it  by  assault  or 
die!" 

"Ah,  you  will  not  die  so  soon,"  exclaimed  Napoleon;  "let 
us  take  this  fortress  by  assault.  The  Duke  of  Dantzic  having 
opened  the  first  breach,  we  will  boldly  follow."  Turning  to 
Lefebvre:  "  Do  you  like  to  eat  chocolate,  duke?"  he  asked. 

Lefebvre  looked  at  him,  amazed  at  the  strange  question. 
"I  do  not  know,"  he  faltered,  "I  believe  I  like  it." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  give  you  a  pound  of  Dantzic  chocolate," 
said  the  emperor,  smiling,  "  for  as  you  took  that  city  it  is  but 
equitable  that  you  should  receive  a  little  souvenir  of  it.  Kou- 
stan,  bring  me  the  small  package  lying  on  my  desk." 

Roustan,  who  at  dinner  always  stood  behind  the  emperor's 
chair,  soon  returned  with  a  small  oblong  package.  Napoleon 


THE  DANTZIC  CHOCOLATE.  233 

took  it,  and,  handing  it  to  Lefebvre,  said,  "  Take  this,  duke 
— small  gifts  keep  up  friendly  feelings." 

Lefebvre  took  the  package,  and,  warmly  thanking  the  em- 
peror, put  it  into  his  pocket.  A  few  minutes  afterward  Na- 
poleon rose  from  the  table. 

"Sire,"  said  Marshal  Lannes,  approaching  him,  "your 
majesty,  perhaps,  does  not  know  all  my  failings.  You  are 
not  aware  that  I  am  very  inquisitive,  and  withal  very  fond  of 
sweet  things.  Now  I  am  anxious  to  know  whether  Dantzic 
chocolate  is  as  good  as  Paris  chocolate — I  should  like  to  taste 
it.  Will  not  your  majesty  be  so  kind  as  to  order  the  Duke 
of  Dantzic  to  open  his  package  of  chocolate  and  let  us 
taste  it?" 

Napoleon  laughed.  "Why,  I  cannot  order  him  to  give 
away  what  I  have  just  given  him,"  he  said.  "  But  a  glance  at 
the  outside  may  show  you  whether  it  is  good  or  not.  If  he 
will  open  it  and  let  you  see  it,  I  have  no  objection." 

The  duke  took  the  package  from  his  pocket;  he  himself 
was  desirous  to  discover  what  it  contained;  Lannes,  Duroc, 
Talleyrand,  and  Berthier,  surrounded  him.  The  emperor 
stood  at  some  distance,  and  looked  smilingly  at  the  group. 
Lefebvre  broke  the  string  and  unfolded  the  wrapper.  It  con- 
tained nothing  but  a  number  of  small  printed  papers;  but 
these  were  valuable,  being  bank-notes  to  the  amount  of  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  Lefebvre,  overjoyed,  looked  at  the 
emperor.  Duroc  and  Talleyrand  smiled  also,  but  Lannes  ex- 
claimed in  a  loud  voice,  "  Forsooth,  I  should  also  like  to  have 
a  pound  of  this  Dantzic  chocolate!  *  Sire,  is  there  not  some- 
where another  Prussian  fortress  manufacturing  such  an 
excellent  article?  Send  me  thither,  and,  I  pledge  you  my 
word,  I  shall  get  my  chocolate!" 

Napoleon  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "No,"  he  said,  "there 
are  really  no  Prussian  fortresses  that  we  can  take;  all  are  in 
our  hands;  only  Colberg  and  Graudenz  are  holding  out,  and 
who  knows  how  soon  they  will  surrender?  You  will  have  no 
chance  to  obtain  your  chocolate  in  Prussia,  Lannes,  but  I 
will  give  you  and  all  my  marshals  an  opportunity,  I  hope,  on 
the  battle-field." 

"  Ah,"  they  exclaimed  in  joyful  chorus,  "  then  there  will  be 
a  battle  soon?" 

"Yes,"  said  Napoleon,  gravely.     "Let  the  fall  of  Dantzic 

*  This  scene  is  strictly  historical.  The  army  knew  in  what  manner  the  emperor 
had  rewarded  Marshal  Lefebvre,  and  it  became  a  cant-phrase  for  soldiers  who 
wished  to  borrow  money  of  their  comrades:  "  Have  you  any  Dantzic  chocolate? " 


234  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

be  only  a  signal  of  fresh  victories  for  us !  The  time  of  in- 
action is  past.  Let  us  invite  the  Emperor  of  Eussia  to  a  war- 
dance  on  the  territory  of  his  ally  the  King  of  Prussia.  Pos- 
sibly, the  beautiful  queen  may  take  part  in  it,  for  she  is  said 
to  be  a  fine  dancer,  and  to  have  delighted  the  young  officer? 
of  the  guard  at  the  balls  given  in  the  palace  of  Berlin.  She 
is,  moreover,  a  heroine,  who,  when  her  king  had  an  army, 
witnessed  the  parade  of  the  troops  in  the  costume  of  an  Ama- 
zon. I  am,  indeed,  inquisitive,  like  Marshal  Lannes — not, 
however,  as  to  the  quality  of  the  chocolate,  but  as  to  this 
queen,  who  is  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  and  amiable 
woman  of  all  Germany.  I  am  desirous  to  find  out  whether 
the  rumor  is  true,  and  to  see  her  face  to  face.  But  in  order 
to  do  so  a  battle — a  victory  is  necessary.  Afterward  I  shall 
invite  her  to  meet  me,  and  I  suppose  she  will  bow  to  the  con- 
queror of  her  country,  notwithstanding  her  pride,  and  accept 
the  invitation.  Ah,  she  shall  accustom  herself  to  recognize 
me,  whom  she  calls  a  usurper,  as  emperor,  and  peer  of  other 
sovereigns.  Gentlemen,  I  count  on  your  active  co-operation. 
You,  marshals,  and  my  brave  army,  are  to  be  the  postilions 
d' amour,  to  conquer  for  me  an  interview  with  the  beautiful 
queen!  You  are  to  wake  up  the  Russians  from  their  winter 
sleep,  and  bring  them  our  morning  greeting  with  cannon! 
All  the  preparations  are  completed.  The  Confederation  of 
the  Rhine,  Italy,  Spain,  and  France,  have  furnished  us  with 
troops,  and  we  have  now  two  hundred  thousand  enthusiastic 
and  invincible  soldiers,  while  Russia  and  Prussia  together  are 
scarcely  possessed  of  half  as  many.  They  are,  moreover,  ex- 
hausted and  demoralized.  Let  us  renew  the  struggle;  and 
when  I  say  struggle,  it  means  victory  I  " 


BOOK    III. 
CHAPTER    XXVII. 

TILSIT. — NAPOLEON   AND  ALEXANDER. 

A  CRY  of  dismay  resounded  in  the  camp  of  the  Prussians 
and  Russians — of  exultation  in  that  of  the  French.  Another 
battle  had  been  fought,  and  Napoleon  had  won  a  brilliant 
victory.  On  the  14th  of  June,  1807,  a  decisive  action  had 
taken  place  between  the  French  and  the  united  army — the 
battle  of  Friedland  had  gained  Napoleon  a  new  laurel-wreath, 
and  brought  an  overwhelming  defeat  upon  unhappy  Prussia. 
The  Russians,  enraged  at  the  loss  of  the  battle,  furiously  de- 
nounced Prussia,  for  the  sake  of  which  Russia  had  been 
involved  in  this  war ;  they  asked  the  Emperor  Alexander  to 
put  an  end  to  the  disastrous  and  self-sacrificing  war  by  mak- 
ing peace  with  France. 

The  same  measure  was  urged  by  the  adherents  of  the  French 
party  in  the  camp  and  in  the  suite  of  King  Frederick  Will- 
iam. They  asserted  that  only  unconditional  submission, 
however  humiliating  it  might  be,  could  save  what  was  still  to 
be  saved ;  that  the  king  ought  to  throw  himself  at  the  feet  of 
the  victor  of  Friedland  and  implore  him  to  restore  his  crown. 
Such  was  the  advice  of  the  discouraged  and  despairing — of 
those  who  always  had  regarded  the  war  against  France  as  a 
fatal  mistake,  and  who  now,  amidst  the  general  consternation, 
were  overjoyed  that  their  predictions  had  been  fulfilled. 

"Peace!  peace  with  France!"  was  the  cry  resounding  in 
the  ears  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  and  of  King  Frederick 
William.  Alexander  promised  that  he  would  comply  with 
the  request.  Frederick  WTilliam  listened  to  it  in  sullen 
silence.  The  queen,  who  had  remained  at  Memel,  and  was 
no  longer  with  her  husband,  veiled  her  head  and  wept. 

But  Napoleon  triumphantly  thanked  his  army  for  this  new 
and  decisive  victory. 

"Soldiers,"  he  said,  "we  are  victorious.     On  the  5th  of 


236  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

June  we  were  attacked  in  our  cantonments  by  the  Eussian 
army.  The  enemy  had  mistaken  our  inactivity.  He  per- 
ceived too  late  that  our  repose  was  that  of  the  lion:  he  re- 
pents of  having  disturbed  it.  In  the  battles  of  Guttstadt  and 
Heilsberg,  and  in  that  ever-memorable  one  of  Friedland,  in 
a  campaign  of  ten  daya,  we  have  taken  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pieces  of  cannon,  and  seven  colors.  The  killed, 
wounded,  or  made  prisoners,  are  sixty  thousand  Eussians. 
We  have  taken  all  the  magazines,  hospitals,  ambulances,  the 
fortress  of  Kdnigsberg,  the  three  hundred  vessels  which  were 
in  that  port,  laden  with  military  stores,  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  muskets,  which  England  had  sent  to  arm  our 
enemies. 

"  From  the  Vistula  to  the  Memen  we  have  come  with  the 
flight  of  the  eagle.  You  celebrated  at  Austerlitz  the  anni- 
versary of  the  coronation ;  this  year,  you  celebrate  that  of  the 
battle  of  Marengo,  which  put  an  end  to  the  war  of  the  second 
coalition. 

"  Frenchmen,  you  have  been  worthy  of  yourselves  and  of 
me.  You  will  return  to  France  crowned  with  laurels,  and, 
after  obtaining  a  glorious  peace,  which  carries  with  it  the 
guaranty  of  its  duration,  it  is  high  time  for  our  country  to 
repose,  protected  from  the  malignant  influence  of  England. 
My  bounties  shall  prove  to  you  my  gratitude,  and  the  extent 
of  the  love  I  feel  for  you." 

Napoleon  thus  promised  peace  to  his  army,  while  thanking 
it  for  the  new  victory.  And  he  had  a  right  to  do  so,  for 
peace  and  its  conditions  were  now  in  his  grasp.  Alexander 
and  Frederick  William  felt  this,  and  hence  they  were  under 
the  necessity  of  making  advances  to  the  conqueror ;  they  were 
obliged  to  sacrifice  their  pride  and  to  conciliate  their  power- 
ful enemy.  Frederick  William  was  still  hesitating.  The 
tears  of  his  wife,  the  prayers  and  remonstrances  of  Hardenberg 
restrained  him ;  he  was  unwilling  to  listen  to  the  urgent  ap- 
peals of  Generals  von  Kockeritz  and  Zastrow,  and  of  Field- 
Marshal  von  Kalkreuth,  who,  now  that  Dantzic  had  fallen, 
believed  unconditional  submission  to  be  the  only  means  of 
safety. 

Alexander  determined  first  on  taking  a  decisive  step.  On 
the  24th  of  June  he  sent  Prince  Labanoff  to  the  victor  of 
Friedland,  and  expressed  his  desire  for  an  interview  with 
him.  Napoleon  complied  with  this  request,  and  sent  Grand- 
Marshal  Duroc  to  the  Emperor  Alexander  to  inform  him  that 


TILSIT.— NAPOLEON  AND  ALEXANDER.  237 

he  would  meet  him  on  the  following  day,  the  25th  of  June, 
at  noon.  But  the  two  emperors  did  not  wish  to  see  each 
other  on  a  soil  red  with  the  blood  of  their  soldiers,  nor  were 
the  peace  negotiations  to  be  held  on  a  territory  hostile  to  the 
Emperor  of  the  French.  A  river,  whose  waves  buried  in 
their  depths  the  reminiscences  of  the  past,  was  to  be  the  neu- 
tral place  of  their  meeting. 

It  was  a  clear  midsummer-day ;  the  earth  was  clad  in  the 
freshest  verdure ;  not  a  cloud  floated  in  the  sky ;  not  a  breath 
of  wind  stirred  the  air,  or  ruffled  the  limpid  waters  of  the 
Niemen.  The  river  was  silent,  as  though  it  was  conscious  of 
its  importance,  and  felt  that  a  great  historical  event  was  to 
take  place  on  its  tranquil  surface.  A  large  raft  was  moored  by 
General  Lariboissiere,  of  the  artillery,  equidistant  from  and 
within  sight  of  both  banks.  A  pavilion  was  constructed  with 
all  the  rich  stuffs  to  be  procured  in  the  little  town  of  Tilsit, 
for  the  reception  of  the  two  monarchs.  This  gorgeous  pavil- 
ion seemed  a  palace  descended  from  some  fairy  realm,  and 
thousands  of  spectators  gazed  at  it  in  surprise. 

The  two  armies  were  ranged  along  the  Xiemen,  their  arms 
and  uniforms  flashing  in  the  sun.  On  one  bank  were  the  life- 
guards of  Alexander,  with  their  bearded  faces  and  savage  feat- 
ures; on  the  other,  the  guards  of  Xapoleon,  with  their 
scarred  faces,  telling  the  story  of  many  a  victory.  In  the  rear 
of  the  soldiers  were  thousands  more,  who  had  hastened  to  the 
banks  of  the  Niemen  to  witness  the  interview  of  the  two  em- 
perors. Shouts,  laughter,  and  songs,  resounded  on  both  sides; 
the  air  was  filled  with  a  humming  sound  as  from  two  immense 
swarms  of  bees.  At  times,  greetings  were  sent  across  the 
river  in  a  language  mutually  unintelligible.  Suddenly,  all 
this  noise  died  away;  the  guards  on  both  sides  presented 
arms;  the  drums  were  beaten,  and  the  bands  played  the 
national  hymns  of  Russia  and  France.  Amidst  these  jubilant 
notes  the  two  emperors  with  their  brilliant  suites  approached. 

That  small,  vigorous  man,  whose  delicate  hand  is  holding 
firmly  the  bridle  of  his  spirited  white  charger — he  with  the 
pale  face  and  expansive  forehead,  crowned  with  light-brown 
hair;  with  impenetrable  features,  a  cold,  compressed  mouth, 
and  large,  gloomy  eyes — that  man  is  Xapoleon,  Emperor  of 
the  French.  Duroc,  Berthier,  Bessieres,  and  Caulaiucourt, 
form  his  suite,  and  follow  him  at  a  full  gallop  to  the  bank  of 
the  river. 

That  slender  young  man  on  the  richly  caparisoned  black 
K — MriiLBACu  Vui..  10 


238  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

horse — that  tall  figure  with  smiling  and  handsome  face,  full 
of  vigor,  health,  and  vivacity — with  soft,  restless  features; 
blue  eyes  radiant  with  enthusiasm,  and  crimson  lips — is 
Alexander,  Emperor  of  Eussia.  The  Grand-duke  Constan- 
tine,  Generals  Benningsen  and  Ouwaroff,  Prince  Labanoff, 
and  Count  Lieven,  accompany  him. 

The  two  emperors  dismount  at  the  same  time,  and  embark 
with  their  suites  in  the  gondolas  that  are  to  convey  them  to 
the  pavilion.  The  oarsmen  keep  time  with  their  oars  and  the 
boats  approach  each  other,  reaching  simultaneously  the  two 
staircases  leading  from  the  platform  to  the  water.  The  two 
monarchs  disembark  at  the  same  moment.  Alexander  and 
Napoleon  stand  face  to  face.  For  a  moment  they  look  at 
each  other  with  inquiring  glances,  and  then  embrace  in  the 
most  cordial  manner. 

This  testimony  of  a  frank  reconciliation  excited  vehement 
applause  among  the  spectators  who  lined  the  river ;  the  French 
as  well  as  the  Eussians  stretched  out  their  arms  toward  their 
newly-won  friends  on  the  other  bank.  "Peace!"  shouted 
thousands.  "  Hail,  ye  friends  and  brethren !  our  enmity  is 
over ;  our  emperors  have  affectionately  embraced  each  other, 
and  like  them  their  subjects  will  meet  in  love  and  peace !  No 
more  shedding  of  blood!  Peace!  peace!"  The  music  joined 
with  the  exultant  cries  of  the  two  nations,  and  the  emperors 
stepped,  keeping  time  with  the  bands,  through  the  doors 
leading  into  the  pavilion.  They  were  alone.  Only  the  eye 
of  God  could  behold  them.  For  a  few  moments  they  stood 
face  to  face,  silent,  and  undecided  which  of  them  was  to 
speak  first,  while  the  echoes  of  the  music  penetrated  the 
heavily-curtained  walls  of  the  pavilion.  Each  of  them  seemed 
to  be  anxious  to  read  the  thoughts  of  the  other  in  his  face,  and 
to  look  into  the  depths  of  his  soul. 

Napoleon's  sonorous  voice  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 
"  Why  are  we  at  war?"  he  asked  with  an  inimitable  smile, 
offering  his  hand  to  Alexander. 

"It  is  true,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  as  if  awaking  from  a 
dream;  "  why  are  we  at  war?  If  your  grudge  is  against  Eng- 
land, and  against  her  alone — if  your  majesty  hates  me  only 
because  I  am  the  friend  of  that  country,  I  can  sever  the 
alliance,  and  we  shall  easily  agree,  for  I  have  as  much  reason 
to  complain  of  her  as  you  have,  and  shall  readily  support  you 
in  every  thing  your  majesty  may  decide  upon  undertaking 
against  her." 


TILSIT.— NAPOLEON  AND  ALEXANDER.  239 

"In  that  case,"  said  Napoleon,  quickly,  "every  thing  can 
be  arranged,  and  peace  is  a  matter  of  certainty.  England 
alone  stood  between  us — perfidious,  egotistic  England,  that  is 
always  interested  only  for  herself,  and  is  ready  at  any  time  to 
sacrifice  her  faithful  and  generous  allies!" 

"  I  have  allowed  England  to  deceive  me  a  long  while,"  ex- 
claimed Alexander,  vehemently;  "for  I  once  regarded  that 
nation  of  traders  as  a  nation  of  men,  heroes,  and  profound 
diplomatists.  But  I  was  terribly  undeceived.  Those  selfish 
shop-keepers  amused  me  with  fair  but  false  promises;  they 
care  neither  for  my  welfare  nor  for  that  of  Europe,  but  only 
for  their  commerce.  The  egotism  of  Great  Britain  is  equalled 
only  by  her  narrow-minded  avarice.  I  asked  the  British  cab- 
inet to  guarantee  a  Eussian  loan,  and  they  were  impudent 
enough  to  refuse  me,  although  they  knew  very  well  that  I 
wished  to  negotiate  it  for  the  sole  purpose  of  equipping  an 
army,  with  which  I  intended  to  take  the  field  more  in  the  in- 
terest of  England  and  Prussia,  than  in  that  of  Russia.  Faith- 
ful to  my  word,  and  to  the  treaties  I  had  concluded,  I  never- 
theless equipped  my  army  and  marched  it  into  the  field  in 
order  to  join  them.  But  where  were  my  allies?  Prussia 
could  not  add  to  my  forces  a  single  army,  but  a  few  corps, 
utterly  demoralized  by  their  misfortunes,  and  the  assistance 
promised  by  England  came  so  late  that  it  failed  in  saving 
Dantzic.  The  English  had  taken  their  own  time  in  appear- 
ing before  that  fortress;  they  had  other  matters  to  attend  to 
in  the  Baltic ;  they  had  to  make  money  by  hunting  up  the 
merchant-vessels  of  other  nations,  and,  in  their  brutality  and 
avarice,  they  did  not  shrink  from  laying  their  rapacious 
hands  even  upon  Russian  ships!  But  while  the  English  were 
taking  unarmed  vessels,  and  calculating  their  profits,  and  the 
Prussians  were  bewailing  their  misfortunes  and  dressing  their 
wounds,  I  alone  had  to  wage  war  and  ingloriously  to  shed  the 
blood  of  my  poor  soldiers  for  a  cause  that  was  hardly  the  cause 
of  Russia.  Ah,  sire,  I  shall  never  forgive  England  for  desert- 
ing rne  in  the  hour  of  danger,  an!  for  basely  deceiving  me  by 
false  promises!" 

While  Alexander  was  speaking,  Napoleon  had  steadfastly 
fixed  his  eyes  on  him;  he  had  looked  through  the  restless, 
quivering  face  of  the  youthful  emperor,  into  the  recesses  of 
his  heart;  and  while  Alexander,  wholly  absorbed  in  his 
wrongs,  and  alternately  blushing  and  turning  pale  with  in- 
dignation and  grief,  was  uttering  his  reproaches,  Napoleon 


240  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

said  to  himself,  "  Two  sentiments  of  the  speaker  are  predom- 
inant, and  ought,  therefore,  to  be  flattered:  spleen  against 
allies,  burdensome  like  Prussia,  or  selfish  like  England;  and 
a  very  sensitive  and  deeply  mortified  pride.  I  must  profit  by 
them." 

As  soon  as  Alexander  paused,  Napoleon  said  in  a  mournful 
voice :  "  Your  allies  have  taken  advantage  of  your  magna- 
nimity, sire !  They  knew  very  well  that  the  heir  of  Peter  the 
Great  was  also  the  heir  of  his  fiery  spirit,  and  that  it  was  only 
necessary  to  talk  of  a  field  of  battle,  and  let  him  hear  a  war- 
like flourish,  to  make  him  draw  the  sword.  Ah,  sire,  why 
was  I  not  so  fortunate  as  to  be  at  your  side?  Why  did  we 
not  take  the  field  together !  What  heroic  deeds  would  you 
have  already  performed !  What  laurels  would  not  now  adorn 
a  head  designed  by  Providence  to  wear  them !  It  was  your 
majesty's  misfortune  that  you  were  united  with  allies  who 
duped  you  for  their  own  purposes — they  were  a  king  without 
a  country  and  without  soldiers,  and  a  nation  composed  of 
greedy  traders  and  stock-brokers,  calculating  whether  glory 
would  be  profitable  to  them  in  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence; 
and  whether  stocks  would  not  fall  if  they  fulfilled  their  en- 
gagements. Your  majesty  alone  displayed  nobleness,  energy, 
and  courage,  in  this  triumvirate;  but  your  friends  were  un- 
worthy of  your  honorable  conduct.  Your  majesty's  mistake 
is  to  be  solely  attributed  to  generous  sentiments  carried  to 
excess,  and  to  misconceptions  to  which  ministers,  incompetent 
and  bribed,  have  given  rise.  You  were  wrong  to  persist  in 
patronizing  ungrateful  and  jealous  neighbors  like  the  Ger- 
mans; or  in  serving  the  interests  of  mere  traders,  like  the 
English.  God  and  history  have  intrusted  a  much  more  ex- 
alted task  to  you,  and  for  this  puprose  such  large  and  warlike 
forces  have  been  given  you.  I  and  my  marshals,  I  can  assure 
you,  are  filled  with  admiration  at  the  bravery  of  your  soldiers, 
every  one  of  whom  fought  like  a  hero." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  "this  praise  uttered  by  you, 
sire,  is  a  balm  for  my  wounds!" 

Napoleon  laid  his  hand  softly  on  the  shoulder  of  the  young 
emperor,  and  looked  him  full  in  the  face.  "Sire,"  he  said, 
"  if  we  were  to  unite  these  two  armies,  which  fought  so 
valiantly  against  one  another  at  Austerlitz,  at  Eylau,  at 
Friedland,  but  who  behaved  like  giants  fighting  blindfold — if 
we  were  to  take  the  field  hand  in  hand  at  their  head,  we 
might  divide  the  world  between  us,  for  its  own  peace  and 


TILSIT.— NAPOLEON  AND   ALEXANDER.  241 

welfare.  By  waging  war  with  France,  Russia  is  spending  her 
strength  without  any  possible  compensation ;  whereas,  if  the 
two  unite  in  subjecting  the  East  and  the  West,  on  land  and 
sea,  she  would  gain  as  much  glory,  and  certainly  more  profit. 
Yes,  sire,  you  would  attain  the  glory  which  you  have  hitherto 
been  vainly  seeking  with  those  who  led  you  into  a  path  in 
which  you  have  met  with  nothing  but  defeats  and  disappoint- 
ments. Heaven  intended,  perhaps,  that  you  should  pass 
through  a  school  of  suffering  to  make  you  see  your  false 
friends  in  their  true  character,  and  then  cause  you  to  turn  to 
new  friendships  with  the  whole  strength  of  your  heroic  soul. 
Sire,  I  offer  you  my  hand,  and,  if  you  will  accept  it,  I  will 
lead  you  into  a  career  as  brilliant  as  the  star-spangled  firma- 
ment, and  as  fragrant  as  the  laurels  of  the  south.  You  shall 
see  at  least  half  the  world  at  your  feet.  Sire,  will  you  follow 
me?" 

He  fixed  his  fascinating  glance  on  Alexander,  and  an  un- 
earthly radiance  seemed  to  beam  from  his  countenance. 
Alexander,  dazzled  by  his  aspect — carried  away  by  the  vigor 
of  his  language,  and  flattered  also  by  hearing  Napoleon  give 
utterance  to  reflections  on  his  allies  which  so  well  agreed  with 
his  own  secret  thoughts,  extended  his  hands  toward  Napoleon. 

"Here  I  am,"  he  exclaimed,  "lead  me!  Show  me  the 
career  I  am  to  pursue!" 

Napoleon  hastily  seized  the  proffered  hands,  and,  shaking 
them  cordially,  said  with  an  energy  which  caused  Alexander's 
heart  to  flutter,  "Come,  the  world  is  ours!"  He  conducted 
Alexander  quickly  and  silently  to  the  round-table  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  pavilion,  on  which  several  rolls  of  paper  were  lying. 
Unfolding  the  largest,  and  spreading  it  on  the  table,  he  said, 
"  Sire,  look  here.  This  is  a  map  of  the  world.  There  is 
Asia,  which  is  placed  at  the  side  of  Russia,  like  a  pillow  on 
which  to  rest  your  head;  there  is  Persia,  with  her  treasures; 
the  vast  Chinese  empire,  with  its  industry  and  commerce; 
there  is  Ilindostan,  with  her  immense  wealth,  and  a  popula- 
tion sighing  for  deliverance  from  the  British  yoke.  Here 
below  you  behold  Africa,  with  her  dreary  deserts,  and  the 
three  Barbary  states,  which  lately  again  plundered  French 
vessels,  and  upon  which  I  have  sworn  to  inflict  summary  pun- 
ishment. I  shall  not  now  speak  of  America  and  Australia. 
That  is  a  world  which  has  first  to  pass  through  the  children's 
disease  of  republicanism;  after  it  has  recovered  from  it,  both 
of  us  will  be  ready  to  inoculate  it  with  monarchical  prin- 


242  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ciples.  But  here  is  Europe!  Your  majesty,  look  at  this 
motley  chaos  of  colors  and  states,  of  big  and  little  thrones, 
lying  between  France  and  Eussia.  "We  are  their  bulwarks  on 
the  east  and  west;  why  should  we  not  rule  over  them?  We 
are  able  to  do  so  by  joining  hands  over  the  heads  of  all  these 
states.  If  Eussia  desires  to  be  the  sincere  ally  of  France, 
nothing  will  be  more  easy ;  we  shall  change  the  face  of  this 
part  of  Europe;  we  shall  break  the  chains  separating  these 
states  and  nations  from  each  other  in  the  east  as  well  as  in 
the  west.  There  will  be  but  one  shepherd  and  one  flock,  and 
the  Emperor  of  the  Occident  and  the  Emperor  of  the  Orient 
will  give  laws  to  the  world!" 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  enthusiastically,  "the  will  of 
my  ancestor,  Peter  the  Great,  revives  in  the  mouth  of  Na- 
poleon the  Great!" 

Napoleon  smiled.  "And  what  Catharine  the  Great 
planned,"  he  said,  "will  be  accomplished  by  Alexander  the 
Great — the  consolidation  of  the  empire  of  the  East!  Sire,  a 
courier  brought  me  important  news  this  morning.  My  ally 
and  friend,  Sultan  Selim,  has  been  hurled  from  his  throne  by 
the  daggers  of  conspirators.  His  overthrow  has  just  set  me  at 
liberty  in  regard  to  my  alliance  with  the  Porte." 

"I 'also  heard  this  intelligence  to-day,"  said  Alexander, 
smiling;  "  the  sultan's  throne  is  vacant;  Turkey  awaits  a  new 
sovereign. " 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "  but  it  is  not  necessary  that 
this  sovereign  should  be  a  Mussulman.  The  crescent  on  St. 
Sophia's  accuses  the  Christian  powers  of  cowardice  and  per- 
fidy, and  it  is  time  to  reestablish  the  cross  on  it.  I  did  think 
that  one  might  make  something  of  those  Turks,  restore  to 
them  some  energy,  teach  them  to  make  use  of  their  national 
courage;  but  it  was  an  illusion.  It  is  time  to  put  an  end  to 
an  empire  which  can  no  longer  hold  together,  and  to  prevent 
its  spoils  from  contributing  to  increase  the  power  of  England. ' 
I  ask  but  a  small  part  of  Turkey  for  myself;  she  is  too  remote 
from  France,  she  does  not  belong  to  the  empire  of  the  Occi- 
dent. But  I  remember  that  Catharine  the  Great  had  placed 
her  on  the  map  of  the  new  world  she  was  constructing,  and  I 
read  in  the  eyes  of  your  majesty  that  you  have  not  forgotten 
that  map!" 

"  Sire,  you  not  only  read  in  my  eyes,  but  you  look  also  into 
my  heart!"  exclaimed  Alexander;  "like  a  magician,  yon  lay 
your  hands  on  the  secrets  of  my  thoughts,  that  never  found 


TILSIT.— NAPOLEON  AND  ALEXANDER.  243 

words;  you  teach  them  to  assume  a  definite  shape,  and  impart 
the  faculty  of  speech  to  them." 

"  I  show  you  the  way  of  glory,  which  your  allies  had  taken 
pains  to  conceal,"  said  Napoleon,  smiling,  "  Your  majesty 
anxiously  desires  to  .see  it,  and  those  perfidious  men  tried  to 
mislead  you.  The  portal  opens  to  you  now,  sire,  and  I 
already  behold  the  noble  Alexander  entering  it." 

"Oh,"  murmured  Alexander,  placing  his  hands  on  his 
head,  "  my  brain  turns  dizzy ;  it  seems  to  me  as  though  it  were 
on  fire." 

"Sire,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  in  a  powerful  voice,  "we  are 
destined  to  give  everlasting  peace  to  the  world,  and  woe  to 
those  who  try  to  hinder  us !  England  would  like  to  do  so  as 
to  myself,  and  Turkey  desires  as  much  in  regard  to  you. 
Sire,  let  us  unite,  therefore,  against  these  two  enemies,  and 
give  efficiency  to  our  alliance.  We  must  enlarge  our  terri- 
tory. I  see  in  the  north  an  obstacle  to  your  progress ;  Sweden 
is  watching  your  majesty  with  a  jealous  eye,  and  will  regard 
an  alliance  with  me  as  a  declaration  of  war.  Well,  then,  wage 
war  against  Sweden!" 

"Sire,"  said  Alexander,  in  dismay,  and  confused  by  those 
novel  ideas  passing  so  brilliantly  before  him,  "  the  King  of 
Sweden  is  my  brother-in-law  and  ally!" 

"  For  that  reason,  let  him  follow  the  changes  of  your 
policy,"  replied  Napoleon,  "or  let  him  take  the  consequences. 
Sweden  may  be  an  ally  for  the  moment,  but  she  is  your  geo- 
graphical enemy.  St.  Petersburg  is  too  near  the  frontiers  of 
Finland.  The  fair  Russians  of  St.  Petersburg  must  not  again 
hear  from  their  palaces  the  cannon  of  the  Swedes.  Proclaim 
war  against  the  Swedish  king,  and  take  Finland  as  a  compen- 
sation. And  as  you  must  be  strong  in  the  south  as  well  as  in 
the  north,  take  also  at  once  some  portion  of  the  provinces 
of  the  Danube.  However,  as  it  is  probable  that  the  Turks 
will  not  give  up  any  thing,  let  us  wage  war  against  them.  I 
will  assist  you,  and  afterward  the  partition  will  take  place. 
Look  here,"  added  Napoleon,  quickly,  drawing  with  his  finger 
a  line  across  the  map,  "  this  is  the  inheritance  that  Turkey 
will  leave  us.  You  take  Bessarabia,  Moldavia,  Wallachia, 
and  Bulgaria,  as  far  as  the  Balkan.  I  should  naturally  wish 
for  the  maritime  provinces,  such  as  Albania,  Thessaly,  Morea, 
and  Candia.  It  is  true  Austria  would  object  to  such  an  ar- 
rangement, but  we  should  offer  her  indemnities  in  Bosnia  and 
Servia,  to  be  made  the  appanage  of  one  of  her  archdukes.  I 


244  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

have  thus  laid  before  you  a  rapid  sketch  of  our  new  world,  sire ; 
the  question  now  is  whether  you  like  it — what  you  think  of  it." 

"Your  majesty,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  enthusiastically,  "I 
feel  like  a  man  who  has  looked  at  the  sun,  and  whose  eyes  are 
dazzled.  But  I  shall  become  accustomed  to  this  brilliant 
light,  and  then  be.  able  to  look  more  reasonably  at  the  wonder- 
ful picture  which  your  majesty  has  unrolled.  But,  then,  I 
shall  need  your  explanations  and  assistance,  and  I  therefore 
request  you  not  to  let  to-day's  interview  be  the  last,  but  rather 
the  commencement  of  many  happy  hours!" 

"We  have  to  settle  many  things  yet,"  said  Napoleon, 
gravely;  "it  is,  therefore,  my  heart-felt  desire  that  we  see 
each  other  as  often  as  possible ;  hence,  I  should  like  to  ask  a 
favor  of  your  majesty." 

"Ah,  sire,  then  you  will  overwhelm  me  with  kindness," 
exclaimed  Alexander ;  "  will  you  permit  me,  your  vanquished 
foe,  to  confer  a  favor  upon  yon?" 

"  I  should  like  to  request  your  majesty  to  leave  the  miser- 
able hamlet  where  you  are  now  living,  and  establish  yourself 
in  the  little  town  of  Tilsit.  It  is  true  I  am  residing  there, 
and  I  am  said  to  be  your  enemy;  but  we  may  neutralize  the 
town,  that  your  majesty  may  be  there  also,  and  that  I  may  be 
so  happy  as  to  see  you  every  day. " 

"  Sire,  I  shall  transfer  my  quarters  to  Tilsit  in  the  course 
of  the  day,"  replied  Alexander,  joyfully. 

"  But  I  have  made  only  half  my  request.  It  is  not  enough 
for  you  to  reside  at  Tilsit ;  you  must  also  live  there.  I  have 
been  informed  that  your  household  is  not  with  you.  I,  there- 
fore, ask  your  majesty  to  let  me  be  your  host,  and  to  permit 
me  to  receive  you  as  a  guest  at  my  table." 

"I  accept  your  hospitality,"  said  Alexander,  smiling.  "I 
hope  it  will  be  the  beginning  of  a  true  and  lasting  friendship. 
But,"  he  added,  in  an  embarrassed  manner,  "I  have  to  ask  a 
favor  of  you.  Sire,  when  I  accept  your  generous  hospitality, 
it  must  extend  to  the  unfortunate  King  of  Prussia.  He  is  my 
ally;  in  an  hour  of  rashness  and  sentimental  enthusiasm,  per- 
haps, I  swore  faithful  and  lasting  friendship  to  him." 

"  At  the  tomb  of  Frederick  ,the  Great,  in  presence  of  the 
beautiful  queen,"  said  Napoleon,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"It  was  the  dream  of  a  generous  heart,  sire." 

"  But  I  must  realize  at  least  a  part  of  this  dream,  sire. 
The  King  of  Prussia  is  with  me  at  my  headquarters;  he  is 
waiting  for  the  decision  of  his  fate." 


TILSIT.— NAPOLEON  AND  ALEXANDER.  245 

"He  has  brought  it  upon  himself;  let  him  bear  it  now," 
exclaimed  Napoleon,  sternly.  "  I  do  not  expect,  hope,  or  ask 
any  thing  of  him.  He  is  able  neither  to  help  nor  to  injure 
me.  The  waves  of  his  destiny  are  rolling  over  him;  they 
will  engulf  him,  and  I  do  not  mean  to  save  him." 

"But  I  do,"  exclaimed  Alexander;  "I  must,  for  my  honor 
is  at  stake.  I  cannot  allow  the  king  to  be  utterly  ruined 
without  dishonoring  myself.  Before  passing  from  one  system 
of  politics  to  another,  it  is  incumbent  upon  me  to  secure  my 
ally  and  to  protect  his  crown." 

"  His  estates  belong  to  me ;  as  to  his  crown,  I  will  leave  it 
to  him,"  said  Napoleon,  carelessly.  "Let  him  reside  at 
Memel  and  review  there  his  fifteen  thousand  soldiers.  But  I 
comprehend  why  you  in  your  generosity  intercede  for  him, 
and  refuse  to  abandon  him.  Tell  me,  therefore,  your  maj- 
esty, what  I  am  to  do  for  the  King  of  Prussia." 

"  Above  all,  sire,  I  request  you  to  receive  him,  and  to  let 
him  lay  his  wishes  and  demands  before  you." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Napoleon,  "I  request  your  majesty  to 
appear  with  the  King  of  Prussia  here  in  this  pavilion  to- 
morrow. Let  him  participate  in  our  interview.  Although  he 
has  so  long  been  an  implacable  enemy  of  mine,  I  shall  willingly 
yield  him  as  much  as  possible,  "but  I  do  so  only  for  your 
majesty's  sake;  it  is  a  sacrifice  I  make  to  your  honor  and 
magnanimity.  Be  kind  enough  to  remember  this.  Sire,  I 
might  dissolve  Prussia,  and  cause  her  to  disappear  forever.  I 
shall  permit  her  to  remain  a  state,  because  your  majesty  de- 
sires me.  But  it  is  true  I  cannot  grant  her  the  old  frontiers; 
she  will  have  to  sacrifice  much  in  order  to  retain  some- 
thing." 

"She  will  be  content  with  this  something,"  exclaimed 
Alexander.  "  Your  majesty  will  confer  with  the  king  liimselt 
as  to  the  extent  of  his  future  states." 

"You  wish  me  to  do  so.  The  King  of  Prussia,  therefore, 
may  have  a  part  in  our  negotiations,"  said  Napoleon.  "  That 
is  to  say,  in  the  official  negotiations,  but  not  in  our  confiden- 
tial interviews.  —  You  and  I,"  he  added,  "  can  understand  each 
other  better  if  we  treat  directly  than  by  employing  oui  min- 
isters, who  frequently  deceive  or  misunderstand  us;  and  we 
shall  advance  business  more  in  an  hour  than  our  negotiators  in 
days.  Between  you  and  me  there  must  be  no  third  person,  if 
we  are  to  accomplish  our  purpose." 

"No  one  shall  be  between  us,"  said  Alexander,  delighted  at 


246  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

so  skilful  a  flattery.  The  two  sovereigns  then  walked  hand  in 
hand  to  the  doors  of  the  pavilion. 

"To-morrow,  then,"  said  Napoleon,  with  a  gentle  nod. 

"To-morrow,  I  and  the  King  of  Prussia  will  be  here,"  said 
Alexander,  with  a  smile. 

Both  emerged  from  the  pavilion.  The  guards  and  the 
people  received  them  again  with  shouts  in  which  the  bands 
joined.  Alexander  turned  to  the  Grand-duke  Constantine, 
his  brother,  and  seizing  his  hand  to  introduce  him  to  Na- 
poleon, he  exclaimed  enthusiastically,  "  What  a  man!  what  a 
genius!  Ah,  my  brother,  had  I  but  known  him  sooner,  how 
many  blunders  he  might  have  spared  me !  What  great  things 
we  might  have  accomplished  together!" 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

QTIEEIST    LOUISA. 

WHILE  Frederick  William  repaired  with  Alexander  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  army,  the  queen  and  her  faithful  attend- 
ants remained  at  Memel.  There  she  received  the  news  of  the 
battle  of  Friedland,  and  bewailed  the  misfortunes  and  disgrace 
of  Prussia.  The  king  was  not  with  her,  to  comfort  her;  he 
was  still  at  the  mill  of  Puktupohnen,  where,  after  the  dis- 
astrous battle,  he  and  the  Emperor  Alexander  had  retired. 
Alexander  had  left  for  Tilsit.  The  king  had  refused  to  ac- 
company him,  preferring  to  remain  at  his  humble  lodgings, 
far  from  the  proud  conqueror.  While  Alexander  was  the 
perpetual  companion  of  Napoleon,  a  daily  guest  at  his  table, 
without  returning  this  hospitality,  indulging  with  him  in 
fantastic  dreams  about  the  future  political  system  of  the 
world,  Frederick  William  pursued  his  lonely  path  gravely  and 
silently,  only  looking  for  means  to  relieve  as  much  as  possible 
the  sufferings  his  subjects  were  undergoing,  and,  by  remon- 
strances and  arguments,  trying  to  protect  his  monarchy  from 
utter  destruction. 

Never  did  Frederick  William  stoop  to  flatter  his  enemy — 
never  did  he  bow  to  him  in  hypocritical  submission.  He 
could  not  help  treating  him  as  the  conqueror  of  his  states,  but 
he  refused  to  degrade  himself  by  base  servility.  His  first  in- 
terview with  Napoleon  was  short,  and  not  very  pleasant. 
Frederick  William  tried  to  prove  to  his  adversary  that  it  was 


QUEEN  LOUISA.  247 

he  who  had  brought  about  the  war  by  invading  the  territory 
of  Anspach,  and  thereby  compelling  Prussia  to  declare  war. 
Napoleon  listened  to  this  charge,  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and 
merely  replied  that  the  cabinet  of  Berlin,  often  warned  to  be- 
ware of  the  intrigues  of  England,  had  committed  the  fault  of 
not  listening  to  his  friendly  counsel,  and  that  to  this  cause 
alone  were  to  be  ascribed  the  disasters  of  Prussia.  Since 
then,  Frederick  William,  like  Alexander,  was  a  daily  guest  at 
Napoleon's  table,  but  he  sat  there  in  silence,  sad,  and  ab- 
sorbed in  his  reflections,  taking  but  little  part  in  the  conver- 
sation, and,  when  he  did  so,  assuming  a  cold,  formal  manner, 
while  Alexander  and  Napoleon  chatted  unreservedly  and 
pleasantly. 

The  king  had  also  been  constantly  at  the  side  of  the  two 
emperors  in  their  long  rides,  and  at  the  reviews,  but  always  as 
an  ominous  shadow  in  the  light  of  their  new  friendship — 
always  as  the  mournful  and  warning  spirit  of  memories  which 
Alexander  would  have  forgotten,  because  now  they  were  a  re- 
proach and  an  accusation  against  him.  And  Frederick  Will- 
iam took  no  pains  to  palliate  this  reproach,  or  to  disguise  his 
sadness  with  a  veil  of  politeness.  Abrupt  in  his  whole  bear- 
ing, he  did  not  condescend  for  a  moment  to  play  the  part  of 
courtier.  Accompanying  the  emperors,  the  king  was  by  no 
means  ready  to  comply  with  their  whims;  if  they  wished  to 
ride  at  a  full  gallop,  he  moved  only  at  a  quick  trot,  and  polite- 
ness compelled  them  to  remain  with  him.  When  they  re- 
turned from  their  excursions,  Napoleon  and  Alexander  vaulted 
quickly  from  their  horses,  and  walked  hand-in-hand  toward 
the  door,  but  Frederick  William  alighted  slowly,  and  thus 
obliged  Napoleon,  whose  guest  he  was,  to  wait  for  him.  The 
king  frequently  made  his  crowned  companions  stand,  regard- 
less of  the  rain;  and  it  happened  more  than  once  that  the 
emperors,  while  waiting  for  him,  were  thoroughly  drenched. 
When  he  was  conferring  with  Napoleon  as  to  the  future  fron- 
tiers of  his  states,  Frederick  William  did  not  assume  a 
suppliant  tone,  but  spoke  with  the  bearing  of  an  incensed  and 
insulted  sovereign,  whom  his  adversary  was  robbing  of  his 
rights,  and  who  scarcely  succeeded  in  restraining  his  indig- 
nation. 

And  the  king  had  sufficient  reasons  to  be  sad  and  irritable. 
He  saw  that  the  storm  which  had  so  long  cast  its  bolts  upon 
Prussia,  would  utterly  destroy  her.  Napoleon  was  about  to 
revenge  himself  for  the  unpleasant  hours  she  had  latterly 


248  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

caused  him.  He  was  willing,  indeed,  as  he  had  pledged  him- 
self to  Alexander,  to  leave  Frederick  William  his  crown,  but 
he  did  not  intend  to  restore  him  his  states.  He  needed 
Prussia  for  the  new  kingdom  of  Westphalia,  and  for  rewarding 
his  friends  and  allies.  The  king  was  to  retain  nothing  but  a 
small  part  of  the  province  of  Prussia,  and  Konigsberg  was  to 
be  his  capital. 

Frederick  William,  stricken  by  this  new  and  terrible  humil- 
iation menacing  him,  looked  anxiously  around  for  assistance. 
He  felt  lonely,  deserted,  and  betrayed ;  he  felt  as  though  there 
was  no  comfort,  no  hope  for  him.  His  soul  turned  with  un- 
utterable yearning  toward  the  queen;  she  was  the  pillar 
against  which  he  desired  to  lean,  that  he  might  not  sink  to 
the  ground ;  she  was  his  energy,  his  strength,  his  deter- 
mination, and  when  she  was  at  his  side,  he  felt  strong  enough 
to  brave  any  calamity.  His  love  longed  for  her,  and  political 
considerations  soon  required  her  presence. 

"Beseech  the  queen  to  come  hither,"  said  Alexander  to 
him ;  "  she  alone  is  able  now  to  do  something  for  Prussia. 
Her  beauty,  her  eloquence,  her  amiability,  and  her  under- 
standing, will  be  more  likely  to  obtain  concessions  from 
Napoleon  than  any  thing  else.  It  will  touch  his  magnanimity 
that  the  noble  queen,  whom  he  has  so  often  reviled,  con- 
descends to  come  to  him  to  implore  his  mercy.  This  high- 
minded  resolution  will  make  a  deep  impression  upon  his 
generosity,  and  he  will  grant  twenty  times  more  than  I  am 
able  to  obtain  by  my  daily  and  most  urgent  solicitations." 

The  king  still  hesitated.  Owing  to  his  sense  of  honor  and 
his  conscientiousness,  he  shrank  from  doing  what  his  heart 
so  intensely  desired;  and,  before  making  up  his  mind,  he 
wished  to  hear  the  views  of  his  friends,  General  von  Kockeritz 
and  Field-Marshal  Kalkreuth,  who  were  carrying  on  the  peace 
negotiations  with  Talleyrand.  Both  of  them  shared  the 
opinion  of  the  Emperor  Alexander ;  both  of  them  exclaimed : 
"  The  queen  is  our  last  hope !  She  alone  is  able  to  make  an 
impression  upon  the  inexorable  conqueror,  and  Napoleon  pos- 
sibly may  not  refuse  her  what  he  declined  granting  to  yoi1*! 
majesty  and  to  us.  It  is  necessary  for  the  welfare  of  Prussia 
that  her  majesty  should  come  hither." 

The  king  delayed  no  longer.  He  wrote  to  the  queen,  and 
requested  her  to  come  to  his  headquarters  at  Puktupohnen. 
He  told  her  it  was  her  sacred  duty  to  make  a  last  effort  for 
the  preservation  of  Prussia — that  every  thing  would  be  lost  if 


QUEEN  LOUISA.  249 

she  failed  to  move  Napoleon  by  her  supplications  and  remon- 
strances. A  courier  hastened  immediately  with  the  letter  to 
Memel.  When  Louisa  read  it,  a  pallor  overspread  her  feat- 
ures. Uttering  a  cry  of  excruciating  anguish,  she  dropped 
the  paper  into  her  lap,  and  buried  her  face  in  her  hands. 

Madame  von  Berg,  who  had  heard  the  loud  sobs  of  the 
queen  in  the  adjoining  room,  hastened  to  console  or  weep  with 
her.  Louisa  did  not  hear  her  come ;  she  was  still  absorbed  in 
grief;  only  incoherent  lamentations  fell  from  her  lips,  and 
her  tears  fell  on  the  letter  lying  in  her  lap.  Madame  von 
Berg  knelt,  and  implored  her  with  the  eloquence  of  devoted- 
ness  and  affection  to  let  her  share  her  queen's  grief — to  tell 
her  what  new  calamity  had  occurred. 

Louisa  looked  with  sorrowful  eyes  at  the  friend  kneeling 
before  her.  "You  ask  me  what  calamity  has  befallen  me! 
Read  and  know!"  she  said,  handing  the  letter  to  her  lady  of 
honor,  and,  at  the  same  time,  raising  her  from  her  knees. 

While  Madame  von  Berg  was  reading,  the  queen  rose;  and 
with  her  head  thrown  back,  and  her  eyes  turned  upward,  she 
commenced  slowly  pacing  the  room.  "  Well?"  she  asked, 
when  Madame  von  Berg,  with  a  deep  sigh,  had  laid  the  letter 
on  the  table.  "Did  you  read  it?  And  do  you  comprehend 
my  grief  now?" 

44 1  do,  your  majesty,"  she  said,  mournfully. 

"  Caroline,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  in  an  outburst  of  despair, 
"  I  am  to  bow  to  this  man,  who  has  insulted  me  so  infamously! 
I  am  to  step  like  a  beggar  before  him  who  has  slandered  my 
honor  before  the  whole  world,  who  has  crushed  my  heart,  and 
wounded  my  soul  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  never,  never 
recover!  I  tell  you,  he  willbe  the  cause  of  my  death!  On 
the  day  when  I  read  those  calumnies  which  he  contrived  to 
have  printed  about  me — on  that  day  I  felt  a  pang  in  my  heart 
as  if  a  dagger  had  been  plunged  into  it!  Ah,  would  I  could 
die  this  hour,  before  sinking  into  this  new  humiliation!  Ah, 
my  soul  is  willing  to  bow  to  the  great,  the  beautiful,  the 
sublime — but  not  to  him — not  to  that  proud  man  who  is 
trampling  mankind  in  the  dust;  who  has  rendered  King 
Frederick  William  so  wretched,  robbing  him  of  his  states  and 
of  his  majesty,  slandering  his  queen,  and  oppressing  his  peo- 
ple. Caroline,  think  of  it!  I  am  to  meet  politely  him  who 
has  robbed  my  children  of  their  inheritance,  and  caused  me 
so  many  sleepless  nights,  so  many  tears,  so  many  pangs! 
With  a  smile  I  am  to  conceal  my  anguish ;  and,  under  a  mag- 


250  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

nificent  costume,  my  wounded  heart!  As  it  behooves  every 
lady,  though  no  queen,  I  am  not  to  wait  for  him  to  come  to 
me,  but  I  am  to  go  to  him!  I  am  to  force  my  visit  on  him — 
I  am  to  court  his  favor!  Ah,  it  is  too  much — too  cruel!" 

Eaising  her  arms  impetuously  to  heaven,  she  exclaimed  in 
the  energy  of  her  grief,  "  Wilt  Thou  have  no  mercy  upon  me, 
my  God?  Ah,  let  me  die!  Let  me  die,  to  escape  this  new 
disgrace  menacing  me !  I  am  a  poor,  tormented  woman !  I 
ask  nothing  of  Thee  but  death !  Wilt  Thou  refuse  me  this 
only  wish?"  She  sank  on  her  knees,  her  arms  and  eyes  still 
raised  toward  heaven,  as  if  she  expected  that  her  prayer  would 
be  granted.  She  slowly  dropped  her  arms,  and  hung  her 
head  with  a  groan.  Madame  von  Berg,  in  tears  and  with 
folded  hands,  was  praying  in  a  low  voice. 

A  long  pause  ensued.  The  queen  rose  from  her  knees;  her 
face  was  calm  and  her  tears  had  gone !  but  around  her  eyes  a 
quiver  was  still  seen,  and  at  times  a  sigh  escaped  her  breast. 
"It  is  over  now,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  "the  struggle  is 
over!  Pardon  my  impassioned  grief,  Caroline;  my  poor 
heart  sometimes  refuses  to  submit  to  the  bridle  of  affliction. 
But  I  must  be  docile  and  patient,  and  learn  to  obey  without 
a  murmur." 

There  was  something  so  touching  in  the  tone  and  manner 
in  which  the  queen  uttered  these  words,  in  the  glance  with 
which  she  gave  her  hand  to  her  friend,  that  Madame  von 
Berg  was  unable  to  conceal  her  tears.  She  took  Louisa's 
hand  and  pressed  it  to  her  lips. 

"Do  not  weep,  Caroline,"  said  the  queen.  "I  have  paid 
my  tribute  to  human  nature ;  I  have  wept,  but  now  I  will  be 
strong  and  do  my  duty.  Stand  by  me,  and  console  me  by 
your  calmness  and  fortitude.  I  must  set  out  in  an  hour ;  let 
us  reflect,  therefore,  what  preparations  ought  to  be  made." 

"Then  you  will  really  go,  your  majesty?"  asked  Madame 
von  Berg,  sadly. 

"Majesty!"  e  aculated  the  queen,  almost  indignantly.  "Is 
this  reverence  intended  to  deride  me?  Where  is  my  majesty?" 

"  In  your  sovereign  eyes,  Louisa,"  said  Madame  von  Berg — 
"  in  your  great  and  noble  heart,  which  masters  its  grief  and 
submits  to  duty.  It  beams  gloriously  around  your  head, 
which,  though  it  may  bow  to  your  adversary,  will  never  be 
humbled  by  him.  But,  consider,  are  you  not  about  to  im- 
pose upon  yourself,  in  your  generous  devotedness,  a  sacrifice 
which  is  greater,  it  may  be,  than  the  reward?  Napoleon  is 


QUEEN  LOUISA.  251 

not  a  magnanimous  man;  he  lacks  true  chivalry,  and  he 
would  delight,  perhaps,  to  scorn  the  august  lady  who  humbles 
herself  so  painfully,  and  who  thereby  affords  him  a  triumph. 
There  is  a  voice  in  my  heart,  warning  me  against  this  plan ; 
it  is  repugnant  to  my  womanly  feelings  that  my  noble  queen 
is  suddenly  to  descend  into  the  petty  affairs  of  politics.  I  am 
afraid  your  beauty,  your  understanding,  your  grace,  arc  to 
be  abused  to  fascinate  your  enemy,  and  to  wrest  from  him  by 
persuasion  what  is  the  sacred  right  and  property  of  your  king 
and  of  your  children,  and  what  I  believe  cannot  be  wrested 
from  the  conqueror  through  intercession,  but  by  the  king  and 
his  ally,  the  Emperor  Alexander,  by  means  of  negotiations,  or, 
if  they  should  fail,  by  force  and  conquest." 

"Hush,  hush,  Caroline,"  exclaimed  the  queen  anxiously. 
"  Do  not  repeat  to  me  my  own  thoughts;  do  not  give  expres- 
sion to  my  doubts  and  fears!  I  think  and  feel  like  you.  But 
I  must  go  nevertheless;  I  must  do  what  my  king  and  husband 
asks  me  to  do.  He  wrote  me  that  it  is  my  sacred  duty  to 
control  my  feelings,  and  come  to  him — that  every  thing  is  lost 
if  I  do  not  succeed  in  influencing  Napoleon  by  my  remon- 
strances. It  shall  not  be  said  that  I  neglected  my  duty,  and 
refused  to  yield,  when  the  welfare  of  my  children  and  of  my 
husband  was  at  stake.  It  is  a  trial  imposed  upon  me  now, 
and  I  am  accustomed  to  make  sacrifices.  God  may  reward 
my  children  for  the  sufferings  I  am  now  undergoing,  the  tears 
of  their  mother  may  remove  adversity  from  them  when  I  am 
no  more.  Oh,  my  children  and  my  husband,  if  you  are  only 
happy,  I  shall  never  regret  having  suffered  and  wept!  And 
who  knows,"  she  added,  "whether  God  may  not  have  mercy 
upon  me,  and  whether,  by  the  humiliation  I  am  about  to 
make,  I  may  not  really  promote  the  welfare  of  my  king,  my 
children,  and  my  beloved  people?  Oh,  Caroline,  I  feel  a  joy- 
ful foreboding  that  it  will  be  so!  It  will  touch  the  proud 
conqueror  to  see  a  lady,  a  wife,  a  mother,  who  was  once  a 
queen,  and  is  now  but  a  sad,  afflicted  woman,  appear  before 
him  and  humbly  ask  him  to  have  mercy  on  her  children  and 
her  country.  Even  though  he  should  feel  no  generosity,  he 
will  feign  it,  and,  in  his  ambition  to  be  admired  by  the  world, 
he  will  grant  me  what  he  would  have  refused  under  other  cir- 
cumstances. The  hearts  of  men  rest  in  the  hands  of  God. 
He  will  move  this  man's  heart!" 

Scarcely  touching  the  floor  with  her  feet,  Louisa  glided 
across  the  room  to  the  piano.  She  slowly  touched  the  keys, 


252  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

and  with  upturned  glances  she  indicated  her  thoughts,  sing- 
ing in  a  joyful  voice  the  hymn  commencing  with  the  words: 


In  all  thy  ways— in  grief,  in  fear, 

O  troubled  heart !  rely 
On  that  all-faithful,  ceaseless  care 

Of  Him  who  rules  the  sky.* 


CHAPTEE    XXIX. 

BAD   TIDINGS. 

FREDERICK  WILLIAM  and  Louisa  sat  hand  in  hand  in  the 
small,  wretched  room  of  the  mill  at  Puktupdhnen.  They 
were  not  a  royal  couple,  but  a  pair  of  lovers,  thanking  God 
that  they  were  again  united,  and  could  read  in  each  other's 
eyes  the  love  and  constancy  that  animated  them.  The  king, 
generally  taciturn  and  laconic,  found  words  at  this  hour;  his 
happiness  made  him  eloquent,  and  he  unbosomed  himself  un- 
reservedly, telling  of  his  apprehensions  and  forebodings. 
"  But  now,"  he  said,  pressing  Louisa's  hand  to  his  lips,  "now 
you  are  here,  and  affairs  will  assume  a  more  hopeful  aspect. 
Your  eyes  will  strengthen  and  your  voice  will  encourage  me. 
Alas!  I  stand  greatly  in  need  of  your  presence,  for  my  soul 
is  well-nigh  crushed.  I  have  no  longer  sufficient  strength  to 
withstand  my  misfortunes  and  humiliations — they  oppress  my 
life  day  and  night,  leaving  me  no  rest.  At  times,  when  I  sat 
at  the  dinner-table  between  the  two  emperors,  and  gazed  at 
the  sombre  features  of  Napoleon,  in  contrast  with  the  good- 
natured  face  of  Alexander,  and  listened  to  their  jests,  I  felt  as 
though  I  ought  to  interrupt  them  by  an  expression  of  anger, 
and  say  to  them,  'It  is  a  shame  for  you  to  laugh  when  mis- 
fortune is  in  your  company,  and  seated  by  your  side. '  But  I 
suppressed  my  feelings.  Oh,  Louisa,  I  was  all  alone  in  my 
agony.  Now  you  are  here,  I  am  no  longer  alone!"  He  threw 
his  arms  around  the  queen's  neck,  and  pressed  her  against  his 
heart,  as  though  afraid  she  might  also  be  wrested  from  him. 
"Oh,  beloved  Louisa,"  he  whispered,  "you  are  my  consolation 
and  my  hope;  do  not  desert  me — do  not  give  me  up — now 
that  the  whole  world  seems  to  desert  me!" 

*Beflehl  Du  Deine  Wege 

Und  was  Dein  Herze  Krankt, 
Der  allertreu'sten  Pflege 
Dess,  der  den  Himmel  lenkt. 
»          *          *          *          * 

PAUL  GERHARD. 


BAD  TIDINGS.  253 

The  queen  encircled  his  neck  in  her  arms  and  kissed  him. 
"I  shall  always  stay  with  you,"  she  said,  smiling  in  her  tears; 
"so  long  as  my  heart  throbs  it  belongs  to  you,  my  king,  my 
beloved  husband!"  They  remained  locked  in  an  embrace. 
Their  thoughts  were  prayers,  and  their  prayers  love. 

A  carriage  rapidly  driving  up  to  the  door,  and  rattling  the 
windows,  roused  them.  "  It  is  Alexander,  who  comes  to  pay 
you  a  visit,"  said  the  king,  rising.  "  I  will  meet  him." 

But  before  he  had  reached  the  door,  it  opened,  and  the 
Emperor  Alexander  appeared.  "  Ah,  I  succeeded  in  surpris- 
ing both  of  you,"  he  said,  with  a  good-humored  smile.  Bow- 
ing respectfully  to  the  queen,  he  added:  "I  trust  your 
majesty  will  forgive  my  entering  without  announcement,  but 
I  longed  to  see  my  noble  friend  Frederick  William.  God  and 
His  saints  be  praised  that  the  sun  has  at  length  risen  on  us, 
and  that  your  majesty  has  arrived!" 

"Yes,  sire,  I  have  arrived,"  said  Louisa,  mournfully; 
"  however,  I  do  not  bring  the  sun  with  me.  Night  surrounds 
us,  and  it  seems  to  me  I  cannot  see  a  single  star  in  the  dark- 
ness." 

Alexander  became  grave ;  he  gazed  long  and  searchiugly  at 
the  pale  face  of  the  queen,  and  a  sigh  escaped  his  breast. 
"Sire,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  king,  "can  we  really  make 
peace  with  the  man  who,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  changed 
into  the  lily  the  red  rose  that  once  adorned  the  face  of  the 
noblest  and  most  beautiful  lady?  Can  we  really  forgive  him 
for  wringing  tears  from  our  august  queen?" 

"Fate  does  not  ask  us  whether  wo  can,"  said  the  king, 
gloomily.  "  It  tells  us  only  that  we  must.  In  my  heart  I 
shall  never  make  peace  with  the  man  who,  although  a  great 
captain,  is  no  great  man;  else  he  would  be  less  cruel.  But 
God  has  given  him  the  power,  and  we  must  all  bow  to 
him." 

"  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  humble  ourselves  before  him," 
exclaimed  the  queen.  "  Amid  our  misfortunes  we  must  keep 
ourselves  erect;  and  if  we  perish,  we  ought  to  do  so  with  un- 
sullied honor." 

"  But  why  perish?"  said  Alexander.  "  We  are  shipwrecked, 
it  is  true,  and  we  are  now  drifting  on  the  waves,  but  we  must 
save  ourselves.  Every  one  must  try,  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
to  do  so;  he  must  grasp  at  the  first  thing  that  falls  into  his 
hands — at  a  plank,  at  a  straw.  Some  fortunate  rope  may  at 
last  save  us,  and  draw  us  to  the  shore.  We  shall  then  build 


254  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

a  new  ship,  and  man  her  with  fresh  hands.  Do  you  agree 
with  me,  my  dear  fellow-sufferers?" 

"  Sire,"  said  Louisa,  in  a  low  and  mournful  voice,  "you  are 
magnanimous.  You  call  yourself  our  fellow -sufferer.  And 
yet  the  tempest  shipwrecked  us  alone." 

"By  no  means,"  exclaimed  Alexander;  "I  have  also  suf- 
fered ;  all  my  hopes,  wishes,  and  ambition  went  down.  But 
I  did  not  wish  to  be  drowned,  and  I  stretched  out  my  arms  for 
something  to  support  me.  Do  you  know  what  I  found  to  sus- 
tain me?  The  Emperor  Napoleon!  Oh,  he  is  a  strong 
support." 

"  I  have  heard,  sire,  your  majesty  has  of  late  become  an 
ardent  admirer  of  Napoleon,"  said  the  queen,  in  a  tremulous 
voice. 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  enthusiastically,  " Napoleon 
is  a  genius,  a  demi-god ;  the  great  Alexander  of  antiquity  has 
risen  from  the  dead.  He  realizes  the  myths  of  the  ancient 
heroes.  I  repeat  it  to  him  every  day,  and,  thank  God,  he  be- 
lieves me!" 

The  queen  cast  a  surprised  and  inquiring  glance  on  him. 
A  singular  smile  played  on  his  lips.  "Yes, "he  repeated, 
"  Napoleon  believes  me !  He  is  convinced  of  the  sincerity  of 
my  admiration,  and  he  is  right.  I  love  him  as  my  master — 
as  my  teacher — as  the  great  ideal  that  I  will  endeavor  to 
imitate!" 

"Oh,  sire,"  sighed  the  queen,  reproachfully,  "you  give  me 
pain!" 

"You  hate  him,  then?"  asked  Alexander,  quickly. 

"No,"  replied  Louisa,  gently,  "I  do  not  hate  him,  but  I 
cannot  love  and  adore  him.  Only  the  good  can  make  the 
world  happy,  and  Napoleon  has  no  good  intentions  toward 
the  nations.  In  his  unmeasured  ambition  he  thinks  of  him- 
self and  his  individual  interests  only.  "We  may  admire,  but 
cannot  love  him." 

"  We  must,  we  can  love  him!"  exclaimed  Alexander.  "He 
is  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  Providence,  that  seems  to 
have  armed  him  to  rule  the  world.  I  love  Napoleon,"  he 
added,  in  a  whispering  tone,  "  and  I  am  sure  he  believes  in 
and  returns  my  love.  He  overwhelms  me  with  attentions  and 
favors ;  we  have  long  conversations  every  day ;  we  take  our 
meals  together,  and  make  many  excursions.  A  shower  sur- 
prised us  yesterday  and  gave  us  a  thorough  wetting.  How 
amiably  the  great  Napoleon  behaved  toward  me!  how  kindly 


BAD  TIDINGS.  255 

he  took  care  of  me !  He  would  not  even  iet  me  go  to  my 
quarters  to  change  my  dress,  but  conducted  me  himself  to  his 
room  and  lent  me  his  linen  and  clothing.  As  a  souvenir,  ho 
presented  me  with  a  superb  dressing-case  of  gold  which  I 
chanced  to  admire.  I  shall  always  preserve  this  gift  as  a 
token  of  his  friendship." 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  cast  a  quick  glance  at  the  royal 
couple.  Frederick  William  had  turned  toward  the  window, 
and  seemed  to  look  intently  at  the  sky.  Louisa  had  cast 
down  her  eyes,  and  her  features  expressed  a  profound  melan- 
choly. The  same  strange  smile  played  on  the  emperor's  face, 
but  neither  the  king  nor  the  queen  noticed  it.  lie  kissed 
Louisa's  hand  and  asked :  "  Will  your  majesty  graciously 
permit  me  to  show  you  that  beautiful  dressing-case?" 

The  queen  withdrew  her  hand  almost  indignantly.  "  I 
thank  your  majesty,"  she  said,  "I  am  not  very  anxious  to  see 
the  gifts  of  Napoleon." 

Alexander  approached  nearer  to  her.  "That  is  right,"  he 
whispered  hastily,  "  be  angry  with  me — regard  me  as  a  faith- 
less man — a  renegade,  you  will  yet  be  undeceived!" 

"Sire,"  said  the  queen,  "sire — " 

"Hush!"  whispered  Alexander,  receding  from  her  and  ap- 
proaching the  king.  "  Your  majesty  knows  how  much  I  have 
at  heart  your  friendship  as  well  as  your  welfare — what  pains 
I  take  to  soften  the  heart  of  the  conqueror,  and  to  inspire 
him  with  more  lenient  sentiments  toward  Prussia.  I  improve 
every  opportunity;  I  try  to  profit  by  my  private  interviews  to 
obtain  better  terms  for  you;  as.  for  instance,  I  succeeded 
yesterday  in  persuading  him  to  leave  you  the  fortress  of 
Graudenz." 

"I  thank  your  majesty,"  said  Frederick  William,  gravely. 
"  But,  as  far  as  I  know,  Napoleon  did  not  conquer  and  occupy 
that  fortress  at  all;  it  held  out  bravely  and  faithfully  to  the 
day  of  the  armistice;  it  remained  mine,  and  I  do  not  sec  by 
what  right  he  claims  it." 

"Oh,  your  majesty,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  carelessly,  "the 
victor  claims  the  right  of  taking  every  thing  he  pleases.  You 
must  remember  that,  now  and  hereafter — yes,  hereafter,"  re- 
peated Alexander,  laying  stress  on  the  word.  "  I  was  glad, 
therefore,  that  I  succeeded  in  preserving  Graudenz  to  you. 
Unfortunately,  however,  I  did  not  succeed  in  recovering  the 
frontiers.  Our  august  queen  must  use  her  eloquence,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  the  noblest  of  women  will  succeed  in 


256  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

bringing  about  what  we  and  our  ministers  failed  to  accom- 
plish. But  in  order  that  your  majesty  may  become  fully 
aware  of  the  important  interests  that  are  at  stake,  of  the  dan- 
gers menacing  Prussia,  and  how  urgently  she  needs  the  assist- 
ance of  her  queen,  I  have  brought  the  'ultimatum'  of 
Napoleon.  He  dictated  it  to-day,  to  Talleyrand  in  my  pres- 
ence, and  I  requested  him  to  give  me  a  copy.  Will  you 
permit  me,  sire,  to  communicate  it  to  you?" 

"  It  is  always  better  to  know  our  fate,  and  look  it  full  in 
the  face,"  said  the  king,  slowly.  "I  request  your  majesty, 
therefore,  to  read  it." 

"  And  will  you  also  permit  me?"  asked  Alexander,  turning 
to  the  queen. 

Louisa  gently  nodded.  "  The  king  is  right,"  she  said,  "  we 
should  know  the  worst.  Let  us  sit  down,  if  your  majesty 
please. " 

She  took  a  seat  on  the  sofa ;  the  emperor  and  her  husband 
occupied  the  easy-chairs  on  the  other  side  of  the  table. 

"  I  implore  your  majesties,  however,  to  listen  without  in- 
terrupting me,"  said  Alexander,  drawing  a  paper  from  his 
bosom.  Glancing  over  it,  he  added :  "  Napoleon  demands, 
above  all,  that  Prussia  shall  cede  to  him  the  whole  territory 
on  the  right  of  the  Niemen,  the  city  of  Memel,  and  the  dis- 
trict extending  as  far  as  Tilsit,  for  he  asserts  that  this  is  the 
natural  frontier  of  Eussia.  He  requires  your  majesty,  further, 
to  cede  your  whole  territory  on  the  left  of  the  Elbe  to  France, 
for  he  regards  the  Elbe  as  also  the  natural  frontier  of  the 
Prussian  kingdom.  He  stipulates  expressly  that  the  district 
of  Hildesheim  shall  not  be  included  in  the  territory  of  your 
majesty  on  the  right  of  the  Elbe,  for  he  desires  this  district 
to  form  part  of  the  new  kindgom  of  Westphalia,  which  he  has 
resolved  to  organize.  But  to  compensate  you  for  this  loss,  he 
will  prevail  upon  Saxony  to  cede  to  you  a  territory  on  the 
right  of  the  Elbe,  equivalent  to  the  district  of  Memel.  Na- 
poleon demands  the  Polish  provinces  of  Prussia  for  the  new 
kingdom  of  Poland  to  be  organized;  but  your  majesty  is  to 
keep  Pomerelia  and  the  districts  of  Kulm,  Elbing,  and 
Marianwerder.  The  district  of  the  Netze,  as  well  as  the  canal 
of  Bromberg  and  Thorn,  will  be  taken  from  Prussia;  Dant- 
zic,  with  its  surroundings,  is  to  be  constituted  a  free — I  be- 
lieve, a  free  German  city,  under  the  joint  protection  of  Saxony 
and  Prussia.  Russia  is  to  cede  the  island  of  Corfu  to  France. 
This  is  Napoleon's  'ultimatum,'  "  said  Alexander,  laying  the 


BAD  TIDINGS.  25? 

paper  on  the  table.  "  These,  queen,  are  the  conditions  which 
your  majesty  ought  to  endeavor  to  render  less  rigorous,  and  if 
possible,  to  cancel  altogether.  What  do  you  think  of  them, 
your  majesty  V" 

"  I  think  that  if  we  cannot  avert  our  fate,  we  must  submit 
to  it,"  replied  Frederick  William  in  a  hollow  voice,  "  but  that 
recourse  ought  to  be  had  to  every  means  to  render  it  less 
offensive.  For  if  I  am  compelled  to  sign  these  propositions, 
I  sign  the  ruin  of  Prussia." 

The  queen  had  listened  to  the  words  of  the  emperor,  with 
breathless  attention,  and  fixed  her  eyes  inquiringly  on  her 
husband.  On  hearing  his  mournful  reply,  she  sank  back  ex- 
hausted, and  tears  flowed  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Your  majesty  sees  how  necessary  it  was  that  you  should 
come  hither,"  said  Alexander  to  the  queen.  "You  have  a 
great  task  to  perform  here.  Yon  alone  are  able  to  save 
Prussia!" 

Louisa  shook  her  head.  "Sire, "she  said,  "he  who  was 
arrogant  enough  to  draw  up  such  an  'ultimatum,'  is  also  cruel 
enough  to  withstand  all  solicitation.  I  have  come  because 
my  king  commanded  me;  faithful  to  the  duty  intrusted  to 
me,  I  shall  try  to  mitigate  our  fate,  but  I  do  not  hope  to  be 
successful." 

"  In  these  times,  nothing  can  be  promised  with  any  degree 
of  certainty;  we  can  only  hope  for  the  best,"  said  Alexander. 
"  We  must  not  relax  in  our  efforts  to  bring  about  a  change  in 
these  terms.  But  I  have  not  yet  communicated  to  you  all 
the  demands  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon." 

"  Indeed !"  exclaimed  the  king,  with  a  bitter  laugh. 
"  Then  there  is  something  still  left  for  Napoleon  to  take  from 
me?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  he  demands  that  your  majesty  dismiss  your 
minister,  Von  Hardenberg." 

"Hardenberg!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  sadly — "the  king's 
most  faithful  and  devoted  servant!  Oh,  your  majesty  knows 
him — the  generous  zeal  that  animates  him,  and  the  noble 
purposes  that  he  pursues." 

"  I  know  him  and  have  tried  to  lessen  Napoleon's  hostility," 
said  Alexander,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  But  my  efforts 
were  unsuccessful,  lie  insists  on  Hardenberg's  removal,  and 
I  cannot  but  advise  your  majesty,  urgently,  to  comply.  I 
cannot  conceal  from  you  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  has  de- 
clared to  me  to-day,  that  he  would  make  no  peace,  but  wage 


258  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

war  with  Prussia  for  forty  years  rather  than  consent  that 
Hardenberg,  his  implacable  adversary,  should  remain  your 
minister  for  a  single  day." 

"That  is  too  much,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  indignantly. 
"  Let  Napoleon  dismember  Prussia,  since  he  has  the  power, 
but  he  must  not  compel  us  to  select  or  dismiss  our  servants 
according  to  his  bon  plaisir." 

"  He  must  not!  but  he  can  do  so,"  said  the  king  gloomily, 
"and  as  Napoleon  does  every  thing  he  can,  of  course  he 
compels  me  to  undergo  a  fresh  humiliation.  I  must  restore 
peace  to  my  poor,  bleeding  country;  I  cannot  continue  the 
war.  If,  therefore,  he  insists  on  Hardenberg's  removal  as  a 
first  condition  of  the  peace,  I  must  comply." 

"  But  it  is  impossible  to  inform  such  a  faithful  and  devoted 
servant  of  the  state  so  abruptly  of  his  ignominious  removal 
from  office,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  mournfully. 

"No,"  said  Alexander,  "that  is  unnecessary.  Minister 
von  Hardenberg  will  send  in  his  resignation.  I  have  had  a 
long  conference  with  him,  and,  in  consequence  of  it,  he  has 
repaired  hither  to  request  your  majesty  to  grant  him  an  au- 
dience. May  I  call  him?" 

"  If  your  majesty  desires  me  I  will  receive  him  in  your 
presence  and  in  that  of  the  queen,"  said  Frederick  William, 
walking  to  the  door;  he  opened  it,  and  cried:  "  Minister  von 
Hardenberg!" 

A  few  minutes  afterward  Hardenberg  entered  the  room. 
The  serene  expression  of  his  fine,  manly  features  had  not  dis- 
appeared; calm,  and  kindly  as  usual,  he  approached  their 
majesties,  and  bowed  to  them  respectfully,  yet  with  the  pride 
of  a  man  conscious  of  his  own  dignity.  He  took  the  liberty, 
therefore,  to  violate  etiquette,  and  to  speak  without  being 
spoken  to.  "Sire,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander, "  I  thank  you  for  being  so  kind  as  to  procure  me  an 
audience  with  his  majesty,  and  as  I  may  hope  that  you  have 
communicated  to  my  king  and  master  the  reason  why  I  ap- 
plied for  it,  I  shall  have  but  little  to  say.  Time  is  precious, 
and,  therefore,  I  shall  be  brief." 

He  approached  the  king,  and,  bowing  deeply  to  him, 
added :  "  Your  majesty  knows  that  I  have  devoted  my  life  to 
the  service  of  Prussia.  I  have  served  her  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  and  energy  so  long  as  the  confidence  of  your  majesty 
permitted  me.  But  circumstances  require  me  now  to  prove 
my  devotedness  in  a  different  way.  I  can  serve  her  now  only 


BAD  TIDINGS.  259 

by  retiring  from  the  civil  service,  and  by  laying  the  portfolio 
that  your  majesty  intrusted  to  me,  at  your  feet.  I,  therefore, 
request  you  to  be  so  gracious  as  to  accept  my  resignation." 

The  king  made  no  immediate  reply.  The  queen  looked  at 
him,  and  an  expression  of  anxious  suspense  and  tender  solici- 
tude was  to  be  seen  in  her  features.  The  Emperor  Alexander 
stood  with  folded  arms  at  the  side  of  the  king,  and  glanced 
with  a  smile  now  at  the  minister,  now  at  the  royal  couple. 

"Sire,"  repeated  Hardenberg,  since  the  king  was  still 
silent,  "  I  request  your  majesty  to  be  so  gracious  as  to  accept 
my  resignation." 

Frederick  William  started.  "You  know  very  well,"  he 
said,  hastily,  and  almost  in  a  harsh  voice,  "  that  it  gives  me 
pain  to  do  sp.  I  have  to  submit  to  necessity.  I  have  no 
power  to  resist  the  most  arrogant  demands — no  army  to 
continue  the  war.  Hence,  I  must  accept  the  only  terms  on 
which  I  am  able  to  obtain  peace,  and  must  also  accept  the 
resignation  you  tender.  You  are  free,  Minister  von  Harden- 
berg; I  am  not  allowed  to  attach  you  to  my  cause.  Accept 
my  thanks  for  your  valuable  services,  and,  believe  me,  I  regret 
that  I  shall  have  to  do  without  them."  He  took  the  minis- 
ter's hand  and  added :  "  I  wish  you  joy  of  being  no  longer 
in  office ;  it  will  not  now  be  necessary  for  you  to  sign  the 
peace  which  Napoleon  offers  to  us." 

"Sire,  "said  Hardenberg,  proudly,  "  I  should  never  have 
signed  that  treaty.  It  is  not  a  treaty  of  peace,  but  of  servi- 
tude. But  I  forget  that  I  have  now  no  right  to  meddle  with 
the  policy  of  Prussia.  I  thank  your  majesty,  and  beg  leave 
to  depart." 

"I  have  to  permit  you,"  said  the  king;  "you  are  more 
fortunate  than  I  am;  you  are  a  free  man." 

"  Sire,  I  have,  after  all,  but  that  freedom  which  every 
honorable  man  ought  to  preserve  even  in  misfortune,"  said 
Hardenberg,  gently — "  the  freedom  of  not  bowing  to  wrong 
and  injustice,  and  of  perishing  rather  than  enduring  disgrace. 
I  intend  to  depart  in  the  course  of  an  hour." 

"Farewell,"  said  Frederick  William,  hastily;  "and  when  I 
Bay  farewell,  I  mean  that  we  shall  meet  again.  I  hope  there 
will  be  better  times.  If  I  call  you,  then,  will  you  come, 
Hardenberg?" 

"  I  shall  never  close  my  ear  against  the  call  of  your  majesty 
and  of  Prussia,"  said  Hardenberg,  bowing  to  the  king  and  the 
queen.  He  then  turned  to  the  Emperor  Alexander.  "  Sire," 


260  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

he  said,  "  on  taking  leave  of  you,  and  being,  perhaps,  for  tha 
last  time,  so  fortunate  as  to  see  your  majesty,  it  is  a  comfort 
to  me  to  remember  the  day  when  I  beheld  you  first  in  the 
spring  of  the  present  year.  It  was  at  Kydullen,  where  your 
majesty  showed  to  the  King  of  Prussia  your  lifeguards  that 
accompanied  you  from  St.  Petersburg  to  participate  in  the 
war  against  France.  When  the  soldiers  marched  past  you 
embraced  King  Frederick  William,  and  exclaimed  with  tearful 
eyes:  'Neither  of  us  shall  fall  alone;  either  both,  or  neither!' 
These  words  are  still  resounding  in  my  ears,  and  in  these  dis- 
astrous days,  when  Prussia's  honor  and  existence  are  at  stake, 
they  are  my  only  consolation.  Your  majesty  has  not  fallen, 
and  hence,  you  will  not  allow  Prussia  to  fall.  You  will  re- 
member your  oath,  the  fidelity  which  Prussia  has  manifested 
toward  you,  and  never  so  stain  your  glory  as  to  desert  her  now 
and  suffer  her  to  fall  alone !  This  is  my  hope,  and,  comforted 
by  it,  I  leave  you." 

"Ah,"  said  Alexander,  sighing,  "how  unfortunate  I  am! 
You  spoke  at  my  right  ear,  and  you  know  that  there  I  am 
deaf.  Hence,  I  did  not  hear  much  of  what  you  said.  But  I 
believe  you  wished  to  take  leave  of  me ;  I,  therefore,  bid  you 
a  heart-felt  farewell,  and  wish  you  a  happy  journey."  He 
offered  his  hand  to  Hardenberg,  but  the  deep  bow  the  minis- 
ter made  just  then,  prevented  him,  perhaps,  from  seeing  the 
extended  hand  of  the  emperor ;  he  did  not  grasp  it,  but  with- 
drew in  silence,  walking  backward  to  the  door. 

When  he  was  about  to  go  out,  the  queen  rose  from  the  sofa. 
"Hardenberg,"  she  exclaimed,  vehemently,  "and  you  forget 
to  bid  me  farewell?" 

"Your  majesty,"  said  the  minister,  respectfully,  "I  await 
your  permission  to  do  so." 

The  queen  hastened  to  him.  Tears  glistened  in  her  eyes, 
and  she  said  in  a  voice  tremulous  with  emotion:  "  You  know 
what  I  suffer  in  these  times  of  humiliation,  for  you  know  my 
sentiments,  which  can  never  change — never  prove  faithless  to 
the  objects  which  we  pursued  together,  A  time  of  adversity 
compels  us  to  bow  our  heads ;  but  let  us  lift  our  hearts  to 
God,  and  pray  for  better  times.  He  will  instil  courage  and 
patience  into  the  souls  of  noble  and  true  patriots,  and  teach 
them  not  to  despair.  Hardenberg,  I  believe  in  you,  and  so 
does  Prussia.  Work  for  the  cause  in  private  life,  as  you  are 
unable  to  do  so  in  public — prepare  for  the  new  era.  This  is 
my  farewell — this  the  expression  of  my  gratitude  for  your 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  261 

fidelity.  May  God  protect  you,  that  you  may  be  able  again  to 
be  useful  to  our  country!  Whenever  I  pray  for  Prussia,  I 
shall  remember  you!  Farewell!"  She  offered  him  her  hand, 
and  as  he  bent  to  kiss  it,  he  could  not  refrain  from  tears.  He 
averted  his  head  as  if  to  conceal  his  emotion,  and  left  the  room. 
Louisa  looked  at  the  king,  who  stood  musing  with  folded 
arms.  "  Oh,  my  husband !"  she  exclaimed  mournfully,  "  Na- 
poleon robs  you  not  only  of  your  states,  but  of  your  most  faith- 
ful friends  and  advisers.  God  save  Prussia!" 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

QUEEN"   LOUISA    AND   NAPOLEON. 

THE  queen  had  finished  her  toilet.  For  the  first  time  dur- 
ing many  months,  she  had  adorned  herself,  and  appeared 
again  in  regal  pomp.  A  white  satin  dress,  embroidered  with 
gold,  surrounded  her  tall  and  beautiful  form,  and  fell  behind 
her  in  a  flowing  train.  A  broad  necklace  of  pearls  and 
diamonds  set  off  her  superb  neck ;  bracelets  of  the  same  kind 
encircled  her  arms,  that  might  have  served  as  a  model  for 
Phidias.  A  diadem  of  costly  gems  was  glittering  on  her  ex- 
pansive forehead.  It  was  a  truly  royal  toilet,  and  in  former 
days  the  queen  herself  would  have  rejoiced  in  it;  but  to-day 
no  gladness  was  in  her  face — her  cheeks  were  pallid,  her  lips 
quivering,  and  her  eyes  gloomy. 

She  contemplated  her  figure  in  the  mirror  with  a  mournful, 
listless  air,  and,  turning  to  Madame  von  Berg,  who  had  ac- 
companied her  to  Puktupohnen,  and  who  was  to  be  her  com- 
panion on  her  trip  to  Tilsit,  she  said :  "  Caroline,  when  I 
look  at  myself,  I  cannot  help  shuddering,  and  my  heart  feels 
cold.  I  am  adorned  as  the  ancient  Germans  used  to  dress 
their  victims,  when  they  were  about  to  throw  them  into  the 
flames  to  pacify  the  wrath  of  their  gods.  I  shall  suffer  the 
same  fate.  I  shall  die  of  the  fire  burning  in  my  heart,  yet  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  propitiate  the  idol  that  the  world  is 
worshipping.  It  will  be  all  in  vain!  With  a  soul  so  crushed 
as  mine,  I  am  incapable  of  accomplishing  any  thing.  But 
complaints  are  useless,  I  must  finish  what  I  have  begun;  I 
must — but  hush!  is  not  that  the  sound  of  wheels  approach  ing 
this  house?" 

"Yes,"  said  Madame  von  Berg,  hastening  to  the  window; 
L — MUULBACH  VOL.  in 


262  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  it  is  a  carriage — a  brilliant  court-carriage,  drawn  by  eight 
horses,  and  escorted  by  French  dragoons." 

Louisa  pressed  her  hands  against  her  heart,  and  a  low  cry 
burst  from  her  lips.  "Oh,"  she  whispered,  "the  dagger  is 
again  piercing  my  heart.  Oh,  how  it  aches!" 

Owing  to  the  noise  with  which  the  imperial  coach  had 
driven  up  Madame  von  Berg  did  not  hear  the  last  words  of 
the  queen.  "  Oh,"  she  exclaimed  joyfully,  "  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon really  seems  to  be  favorably  disposed  toward  us.  He 
takes  pains  at  least  to  receive  your  majesty  with  the  respect 
due  to  a  queen.  The  carriage  is  magnificent,  and  the  eight 
horses  wear  a  harness  of  gold  and  purple.  The  French 
dragoons  have  on  their  gala-uniforms  and  are  marching  into 
line  to  present  arms  when  your  majesty  appears.  I  begin  to 
hope  that  I  was  mistaken  in  Napoleon ;  he  will  not  humble 
her  whom  he  receives  with  the  splendor  lavished  on  the  most 
powerful  crowned  heads." 

Louisa  shook  her  head.  "  He  has  learned  a  lesson  from  the 
ancient  Csesars,"  she  said.  "  When  Zenobia  adorned  the  tri- 
umphal procession  of  Aurelian,  she  was  clad  in  robes  of  pur- 
ple and  gold ;  she  stood  on  a  gilded  car,  surrounded  by  ser- 
vants, as  it  was  due  to  a  queen.  But  manacles  were  about  her 
arms ;  she  was,  after  all,  but  a  prisoner,  and  the  contrast  of 
the  chain  with  the  royal  pomp  rendered  only  more  striking 
the  imperial  triumph  and  her  own  humiliation.  But,  no 
matter!  We  must  go  through  with  it.  Come,  Caroline,  give 
me  my  cloak."  She  wrapped  herself  in  a  small  cloak  of  violet 
velvet,  and  casting  a  last  imploring  glance  toward  heaven,  she 
left  the  room  to  drive  to  Tilsit. 

At  the  hotel,  where  the  king  was  staying,  he  received  his 
consort  and  conducted  her  up-stairs  to  the  room  prepared  for 
her.  They  said  litble ;  the  immense  importance  of  this  hour 
made  them  taciturn;  they  spoke  to  each  other  only  by 
glances,  by  pressing  each  other's  hands,  and  by  a  few  whis- 
pered words  indicative  of  their  profound  anxiety  and  sus- 
pense. Scarcely  fifteen  minutes  had  elapsed  when  one  of 
Napoleon's  aides  appeared,  to  inform  her  that  the  emperor 
was  already  on  his  way  to  see  her.  The  king  kissed  his  wife's 
hand.  "Farewell,  Louisa,"  he  said,  "and  may  God  give  you 
strength  to  meet  your  adversary !" 

Louisa  retained  him.  "  You  will  not  stay  with  me?"  she 
asked,  breathlessly.  "You  will  leave  me  at  this  painful 
moment?" 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  263 

"Etiquette  requires  me  to  do  so,"  said  the  king.  "You 
know  very  well  that  I  care  nothing  for  these  empty  forms; 
but  it  seems  that  Napoleon,  to  whom  they  arc  still  new, 
deems  them  necessary  for  upholding  the  majesty  of  the  new- 
fangled empire.  The  emperor  pays  a  visit  to  the  queen 
alone;  hence,  you  must  receive  him  alone.  Only  your  lady 
of  honor  is  allowed  to  remain  in  the  adjoining  room,  the  door 
of  which  will  be  left  open.  Napoleon's  companion — Talley- 
rand, I  believe — will  also  remain  there.  Farewell,  Louisa;  I 
shall  come  only  when  the  emperor  expressly  asks  for  me.  Do 
you  hear  the  horses  in  front  of  the  house?  Napoleon  is 
coming!  I  go.'1  He  nodded  pleasantly,  and  left  the  room. 

"Oh,  my  children!"  muttered  the  queen;  "I  am  doing 
this  for  you — for  your  sake  I  will  speak  and  humble  my  heart!" 

She  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  staircase,  and 
Madame  von  Berg  appeared  in  the  adjoining  room  to  an- 
nounce that  his  majesty  the  Emperor  Napoleon  was  approach- 
ing. Louisa  nodded,  and,  quickly  crossing  the  anteroom, 
she  went  out  into  the  corridor.  Napoleon  was  just  ascending 
the  stairs.  Ilis  face  was  illuminated  with  a  triumphant  ex- 
pression, and  a  sinister  fire  was  burning  in  his  eyes,  which  he 
fixed  on  the  queen  with  a  strange  mixture  of  curiosity  and 
sympathy.  Louisa  looked  at  him  calmly;  a  touching  smile 
played  on  her  lips;  her  beautiful  face  beamed  with  energy 
and  courage,  and  an  air  of  pious  solemnity  was  visible  in  her 
whole  appearance.  Napoleon  felt  involuntarily  moved  in  the 
presence  of  a  lady  so  queen-like  and  yet  so  gentle,  and  bowed 
more  respectfully  to  her  than  he  had  ever  done  to  any  other 
woman. 

"Sire,"  said  Louisa,  conducting  him  into  the  room,  "I  am 
sorry  that  your  majesty  had  to  ascend  so  miserable  a  staircase." 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "  if  the  way  leading  to  you  was 
inconvenient,  madame,  the  reward  is  so  desirable  that  one 
would  shrink  from  no  trouble  to  obtain  it." 

"  It  seems  there  is  nothing  too  inconvenient  for  your  maj- 
esty," said  the  queen,  gently.  "Neither  the  sands  of  Egypt 
nor  the  snows  of  our  north  impede  the  career  of  the  hero. 
And  yet  I  should  think  our  cold  climate  an  obstacle  difficult 
to  overcome.  Did  your  majesty  not  have  this  opinion  some- 
times last  winter?" 

"It  is  true,"  said  Napoleon.  "Your  Prussia  is  somewhat 
cold.  She  is  too  close  to  Russia,  and  allows  herself  to  be 
fanned  too  much  by  its  icy  breezes!" 


264  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Louisa  feigned  not  to  understand  this  allusion  to  the  policy 
of  Prussia,  and,  turning  to  the  emperor,  she  requested  him 
to  take  a  seat  on  the  sofa.  Napoleon  offered  her  his  hand  and 
conducted  her  to  it.  "Let  us  sit  down,"  he  said,  with  a 
tinge  of  irony.  Turning  to  her,  he  added :  "  You  have 
hated  me  so  long  that  you  ought  to  give  me  now  a  slight  token 
of  the  change  in  your  sentiments,  and  permit  me  to  sit  at 
your  side."  Bending  over,  he  looked  her  full  in  the  face  and 
seemed  to  wait  for  her  to  renew  the  conversation. 

The  queen  felt  her  heart  tremble — that  the  critical  moment 
had  come,  and  she  concentrated  her  courage  and  determination 
that  that  moment  might  not  pass  unimproved.  She  raised 
her  eyes  slowly,  and,  with  an  affecting  expression,  she  said 
in  a  low,  tremulous  voice,  "  Will  your  majesty  permit  me  to 
tell  you  why  I  have  come  hither?" 

Napoleon  nodded,  and  continued  looking  steadily  at  her. 

"I  have  come,"  added  the  queen,  "to  beg  your  majesty  to 
grant  Prussia  a  more  favorable  peace.  Sire,  I  use  the  word 
'beg!'  I  will  not  speak  of  our  rights,  of  our  claims,  but  only 
of  our  misfortunes;  I  will  only  appeal  to  the  generosity  of 
your  majesty,  imploring  you  to  lessen  our  calamities,  and  have 
mercy  on  our  people!" 

"  The  misfortunes  we  suffer  are  generally  the  consequences 
of  our  own  faults,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  harshly;  "  hence,  we 
must  endure  what  we  bring  upon  ourselves.  How  could  you 
dare  to  wage  war  against  me?" 

The  queen  raised  her  head,  and  her  eyes  flashed.  "  Sire," 
she  said,  quickly  and  proudly,  "  the  glory  of  the  great  Fred- 
erick induced  us  to  mistake  our  strength,  if  we  were  mis- 
taken." 

"  You  were  mistaken,  at  least  in  your  hopes  that  you  could 
vanquish  me,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  sternly.  But,  as  if  struck 
by  a  sudden  recollection,  and  meaning  to  apologize  for  his 
rudeness,  he  bowed,  and  added  in  a  pleasant  tone :  "  I  refer 
to  Prussia  and  not  to  you,  queen.  Your  majesty  is  sure  to 
vanquish  every  one.  I  was  told  that  you  were  beautiful,  and 
I  find  that  you  are  the  most  charming  lady  in  the  world !" 

"  I  am  neither  so  vain  as  to  believe  that,  nor  so  ambitious 
as  to  wish  it,"  said  the  queen.  "I  have  come  hither  as  con- 
sort of  the  king,  as  mother  of  my  children,  and  as  represen- 
tative of  my  people!" 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  politely,  "Prussia  may  well  be 
proud  of  so  noble  a  representative." 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  265 

"Sire,  Prussia  cannot  be  proud,"  replied  the  queen,  sigh- 
ing. "  She  weeps  over  her  sons  fallen  on  the  fields  of  battle 
that  brought  laurels  to  you;  to  us  nothing  but  defeat.  She 
has  lost  her  prosperity;  her  fields  are  devastated ;  her  supplies 
consumed.  She  is  looking  despondiugly  toward  the  future, 
and  all  that  remains  to  her  is  hope.  Sire,  let  not  this  hope 
be  in  vain!  Pardon  us  for  not  having  feared  your  all-power- 
ful genius  and  your  victorious  heroism!  It  was  a  terrible 
misfortune  for  us  to  have  mistaken  our  strength;  but  we  have 
been  humbled  for  it.  Let  it  be  enough!  You  have  made  us 
feel  the  conqueror's  hand;  let  us  now  feel  and  acknowledge 
your  magnanimity!  Your  majesty  cannot  intend  to  trample 
in  the  dust  those  whom  fortune  has  already  so  humbled.  Y"ou 
will  not  take  revenge  for  our  errors — you  will  not  deride  and 
revile  our  majesty — for  majesty,  sire,  is  still  enthroned  on  our 
heads.  It  is  the  sacred  inheritance  which  we  must  bequeath 
to  our  children." 

"  Ah,  your  majesty  will  comprehend  that  I  cannot  feel 
much  respect  for  such  sacred  inheritance,"  said  Napoleon, 
sneeringly. 

"  But  your  majesty  will  respect  our  misfortunes,"  exclaimed 
Louisa.  "  Sire,  adversity  is  a  majesty,  too,  and  consecrates 
its  innocent  children." 

"  Prussia  has  to  blame  none  but  herself  for  her  calamities!" 
said  Napoleon,  vehemently. 

"  Does  your  majesty  say  so  because  we  defended  onr  coun- 
try when  we  were  attacked?"  asked  the  queen,  proudly.  "  Do 
you  say  so  because,  faithful  to  the  treaties  which  we  had 
sworn  to  observe,  we  refused  to  desert  our  ally  for  the  sake  of 
our  own  profit,  but  courageously  drew  the  sword  to  protect  his 
and  our  frontiers?  Heaven  decreed  that  we  should  not  be 
victorious  in  this  struggle,  and  our  defeats  became  a  new 
laurel-wreath  for  your  brow.  But  now  you  will  deem  your 
triumphs  sufficient,  and  will  not  think  of  taking  advantage  of 
our  distress.  I  am  told  that  your  majesty  has  asked  of  the 
king,  as  the  price  of  peace,  the  largest  and  best  part  of  his 
states — that  you  intend  taking  from  him  his  fortresses,  cities, 
and  provinces,  leaving  to  him  a  crown  without  territory,  a 
title  without  meaning — that  you  wish  to  distribute  his  sub- 
jects'and  provinces,  and  form  of  them  new  nations.  But  your 
majesty  knows  well  that  we  cannot  with  impunity  rob  a  peo- 
ple of  their  inalienable  and  noblest  rights — of  their  nationality 
— give  them  arbitrary  frontiers,  and  transform  them  into  aew 


266  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

states.  Nationality  is  a  sentiment  inherent  in  the  human 
heart,  and  our  Prussians  have  proud  hearts.  They  love  their 
king,  their  country — " 

"  And  above  all  their  august  queen,"  interrupted  Napoleon, 
who  wished  to  put  an  end  to  this  appeal,  and  direct  the  con- 
versation into  less  impetuous  channels.  "  Oh,  I  know  that  all 
Prussia  idolizes  her  beautiful  queen,  and  henceforth  I  shall 
not  wonder  at  it.  Happy  those  who  are  permitted  to  bear 
your  chains!" 

She  cast  on  him  a  glance  so  contemptuous  that  Napoleon 
shrank,  and  lowered  his  eyes.  "  Sire,"  she  said,  "no  one  who 
bears  chains  is  happy,  and  your  majesty — who  once  said  to 
the  Italians,  'You  need  not  fear  me,  for  I  have  come  to  break 
your  chains  and  to  deliver  you  from  degrading  servitude!' — 
will  not  now  reduce  a  state  to  servitude.  For  to  wrest  it  from 
its  legitimate  sovereign,  and  to  compel  it  to  submit  to  another 
prince  is  chaining  it — to  distribute  a  people  like  merchandise, 
is  reducing  them  to  slavery.  Sire,  I  dare  beg  your  majesty  to 
leave  us  our  nationality  and  our  honor!  I  dare  beg  you  in 
the  name  of  my  children  to  leave  them  their  inheritance  and 
their  rights." 

"  Their  rights?"  asked  Napoleon.  "  Only  he  has  them  who 
knows  how  to  maintain  them.  What  do  you  call  the  rights 
of  your  children?" 

"  Sire,  I  refer  to  their  birth,  their  name,  and  history.  By 
their  birth,  God  conferred  on  them  the  right  to  rule  over 
Prussia.  And  the  Prussian  monarchy  is  rooted  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people.  Oh,  your  majesty,  do  not  overthrow  it! 
Honor  in  us  the  crown  adorning  your  own  victorious  head! 
Sovereigns  ought  to  respect  each  other,  that  their  people  may 
never  lose  the  respect  due  to  them ;  sovereigns  ought  to  sup- 
port and  strengthen  each  other,  to  enable  them  to  meet  their 
enemies  now  carried  away  by  the  insane  ideas  of  a  so-called 
new  era — ideas  that  brought  the  heads  of  Louis  XVI.  and 
Marie  Antoinette  to  the  scaffold.  Sire,  princes  are  not  always 
safe,  and  harmony  among  them  is  indispensable;  but  it  is  not 
strengthening  one's  own  power  to  weaken  that  of  others — it 
is  not  adding  lustre  to  one's  own  crown  to  tarnish  another's. 
0  sire,  in  the  name  of  all  monarchies — nay,  in  the  nanie  of 
your  own,  now  shedding  so  radiant  a  light  over  the  whole 
world,  I  pray  for  our  crown,  our  people,  and  our  frontiers!" 

"The  Prussians,"  said  Napoleon,  rising,  "could  not  have 
found  a  more  beautiful  and  eloquent  advocate  than  your  maj- 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  267 

esty!"  He  paced  the  room  several  times,  his  hands  folded 
behind  him.  The  queen  had  also  risen,  but  she  stood  still, 
and  looked  in  breathless  suspense  at  Napoleon,  whose  cold  face 
seemed  to  warm  a  little  with  humane  emotion.  lie  ap- 
proached, and  fixed  his  eyes- in  admiration  on  her  sad  but 
noble  countenance.  "  Your  majesty,"  he  said,  "  I  believe  you 
have  told  me  many  things  which  no  one  hitherto  has  ventured 
to  tell  me — many  things  which  might  have  provoked  my 
auger — some  bitter  words,  and  prophetic  threats  have  fallen 
from  your  lips.  This  proves  that  you  at  least  respect  my 
character,  and  that  you  believe  I  will  not  abuse  the  position 
to  which  the  fortune  of  war  has  elevated  me.  I  will  not  dis- 
appoint you,  madame.  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  mitigate  your 
misfortunes,  and  to  let  Prussia  remain  as  powerful  as  is  com- 
patible with  my  policy  and  with  my  obligations  to  my  old  and 
new  friends.  I  regret  that  she  refused  to  enter  into  an 
alliance  with  me,  and  that  I  vainly  offered  my  friendship  to 
her  more  than  once.  It  is  no  fault  of  mine  that  your  majesty 
has  to  bear  the  consequences  of  this  refusal,  but  I  will  try  to 
ameliorate  them  as  much  as  I  can.  I  cannot  restore  your  old 
frontiers;  I  cannot  deliver  your  country  entirely  from  the 
burdens  and  calamities  of  war,  and  preserve  it  from  the  tribute 
which  the  conqueror  must  impose  upon  the  vanquished,  in 
order  to  receive  some  compensation  for  the  blood  that  was 
shed.  I  will  always  remember  that  the  Queen  of  Prussia  is 
not  only  the  most  fascinating,  but  also  the  most  high- 
minded,  courageous,  and  generous  lady  in  the  world,  and  that 
one  cannot  do  homage  enough  to  her  magnanimity  and  intel- 
ligence. I  promise  your  majesty  that  I  am  quite  willing  to 
comply  with  all  your  wishes  as  far  as  I  can.  Inform  me, 
therefore,  of  them ;  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  be  quite  frank 
with  me.  We  shall  try  to  become  good  friends,  and,  us  a 
token  of  this  friendship,  I  take  the  liberty  to  offer  you  this 
flower,  which  bears  so  striking  a  resemblance  to  you."  He 
took  a  full-blown  moss-rose  from  the  porcelain  vase  standing 
on  the  table,  and  presented  it  to  her.  "  Will  you  accept  this 
pledge  of  friendship  at  my  hands?" 

The  queen  hesitated.  It  was  repugnant  to  her  noble  and 
proud  heart  to  receive  so  sentimental  a  gift  from  him  to  whom 
her  heart  never  could  grant  true  friendship.  She  slowly 
raised  her  eyes  and  looked  almost  timidly  into  his  smiling 
face.  "Sire,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  "add  to  this  pledge  of 
your  friendship  still  another,  that  I  may  accept  the  rose." 


268  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  smile  faded  from  Napoleon's  face,  and  anger  darkened 
his  forehead.  "  Kemember,  madame,"  he  said  harshly,  "  that 
it  is  I  who  command,  and  that  you  have  but  the  choice  to 
decline  or  to  accept.  Will  you  accept  this  rose?" 

"Sire, "said  the  queen,  with  quivering  lips  and  tearful 
eyes,  "  give  it  to  me  with  another  pledge  of  your  friendship. 
Give  me  Magdeburg  for  my  children." 

Napoleon  threw  the  rose  on  the  table.  "Ah,  madame," 
he  said,  vehemently,  "Magdeburg  is  no  toy  for  children!" 
He  turned  around  and  paced  the  room  repeatedly,  while 
Louisa  hung  her  head,  and  looked  resigned  as  a  martyr  ready 
to  suffer  death.  Napoleon  glanced  at  her  as  he  passed,  and 
the  spectacle  exhibited  by  this  aggrieved,  and  yet  so  dignified 
and  gentle  a  queen,  touched  him,  for  it  reminded  him  of 
Josephine.  He  stood  still  in  front  of  her.  "  Forgive  my  im- 
pulsiveness," he  said;  "I  cannot  give  you  Magdeburg,  but 
you  may  rest  assured  that  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  lessen  your 
calamities,  and  to  fulfil  your  request.  The  Emperor  Alexan- 
der is  aware  of  my  wishes;  he  knows  that  I  am  desirous  to 
serve  the  King  of  Prussia.  I  should  like  to  repeat  this  to 
your  husband  himself  if  he  were  here." 

"He  is  here,"  said  the  queen,  hastily;  "and  with  your 
majesty's  permission  he  will  be  with  us  immediately." 

Napoleon  bowed  in  silence.  A  sign  made  by  Louisa 
brought  the  lady  of  honor.  "  Be  so  kind  as  to  request  the 
king  to  come  to  us,"  said  the  queen,  quickly. 

"And  while  we  are  awaiting  the  king,"  said  Napoleon,  call- 
ing Talleyrand  from  the  anteroom,  "  your  majesty  will  permit 
me  to  introduce  my  companion.  Madame,  I  have  the  honor 
to  present  my  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  M.  de  Talleyrand, 
Prince  de  Benevento." 

"  And  I  deem  myself  happy  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the 
greatest  statesman  of  the  age,"  said  the  queen,  while  Talley- 
rand's short  figure  bowed  deeply.  "  Oh,  your  majesty  is  in- 
deed to  be  envied.  You  have  not  only  gained  great  glory, 
but  are  also  blessed  with  high-minded  and  sagacious  advisers 
and  executors  of  your  will.  If  the  king  my  husband  had 
always  been  equally  fortunate,  a  great  many  things  would  not 
have  happened." 

"  Well,  we  have  induced  him  to  displace  at  least  one  bad 
adviser,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "That  man  Hardenberg  was 
the  evil  genius  of  the  king;  he  is  chiefly  to  blame  for  the  mis- 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  269 

fortunes  that  have  befallen  Prussia,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
remove  him." 

"But  he  was  an  experienced  statesman,"  said  the  queen, 
whose  magnanimous  character  found  it  difficult  to  listen  to 
any  charge  against  Hardenberg  without  saying  something  in 
his  defence;  "  he  is  a  very  skilful  politician,  and  it  will  not  be 
easy  for  the  king  to  fill  the  place  of  Minister  von  Hardenberg." 

"Ah!"  said  Napoleon,  carelessly;  "  ministers  are  always  to 
be  found.  Let  him  appoint  Baron  von  Stein ;  he  seems  to  be 
a  man  of  understanding." 

An  expression  of  joyful  surprise  overspread  the  queen's  face. 
The  king  entered.  Napoleon  met  him  and  offered  him  his 
hand.  "  I  wished  to  give  your  majesty  a  proof  of  my  kind 
disposition  in  the  presence  of  your  noble  and  beautiful  consort, 
and,  if  you  liave  no  objection,  to  assure  you  of  my  friend- 
ship," he  said.  "I  have  complied  as  far  as  possible  with  all 
your  wishes.  The  Emperor  Alexander,  in  whom  you  have  an 
ardent  and  eloquent  friend,  will  confirm  it  to  you.  I  also 
communicated  to  him  my  last  propositions,  and  trust  that  your 
majesty  will  acquiesce  in  them." 

"Sire,"  said  the  king,  coldly,  "the  Emperor  Alexander 
laid  this  ultimatum  before  me,  but  it  would  be  very  painful 
to  me  if  I  should  be  obliged  to  accept  it.  It  would  deprive 
me  of  the  old  hereditary  provinces  which  form  the  largest 
portion  of  my  states." 

"  I  will  point  out  a  way  to  get  compensation  for  these 
losses,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "Apply  to  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander; let  him  sacrifice  to  you  his  relatives,  the  Princes  of 
Mecklenburg  and  Oldenburg.  He  can  also  give  up  to  you 
the  King  of  Sweden,  from  whom  you  may  take  Stralsund  and 
that  portion  of  Pomerania  of  which  he  makes  such  bad  use. 
Let  him  consent  that  you  should  have  these  acquisitions,  not 
indeed  equal  to  the  territories  taken  from  you,  but  better 
situated,  and,  for  my  part,  I  shall  make  no  objection." 

"  Your  majesty  proposes  to  me  a  system  of  spoliation,  to 
which  I  can  never  agree,"  said  the  king,  proudly.  "I  com- 
plain of  the  menaced  loss  of  my  provinces,  not  only  because  it 
would  lessen  the  extent  of  my  territories,  but  because  they  are 
the  hereditary  states  of  my  house,  and  are  associated  with  my 
ancestors  by  indissoluble  ties  of  love  and  fealty." 

"  You  see  that  these  ties  are  not  indissoluble  after  all,"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  "for  we  shall  break  them,  and  you  will  be 
consoled  for  the  loss  by  obtaining  compensation." 


270  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Possibly  others  may  be  more  readily  consoled  for  such 
losses,"  said  the  king:  "those  who  are  only  anxious  for  the 
possession  of  states,  and  who  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  part 
with  hereditary  provinces  in  which  the  most  precious  reminis- 
cences of  our  youth  have  their  root,  and  which  we  can  no 
more  forget  than  our  cradle." 

"Cradle!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  laughing  scornfully. 
"  When  the  child  has  become  a  man,  he  has  no  time  to  think 
of  his  cradle." 

"Yes,  he  has,"  said  the  king,  with  an  angry  expression. 
"  We  cannot  repudiate  our  childhood,  and  a  man  who  has  a 
heart  must  remember  the  associations  of  his  youth." 

Napoleon,  making  no  reply,  looked  grave,  while  Frederick 
William  fixed  his  eyes  on  him  with  a  sullen  and  defiant  ex- 
pression. The  queen  felt  that  it  was  time  for  her  to  prevent 
a  more  violent  outburst  of  indignation  on  the  part  of  her  hus- 
band. "  The  real  cradle  is  the  tender  heart  of  a  mother,"  she 
said  gently,  "  and  all  Europe  knows  that  your  majesty  does 
not  forget  it ;  all  are  aware  of  the  reverential  love  of  the  great 
conqueror  for  Madame  Letitia,  whom  France  hails  as  noble 
Madame  Mere." 

Napoleon  raised  his  eyes  toward  her,  and  his  forbidding 
expression  disappeared.  "It  is  true,"  he  said,  "your  sons, 
madame,  ought  to  be  envied  such  a  mother.  They  will  owe 
you  many  thanks,  for  it  is  you,  madame,  who  have  saved 
Prussia  by  your  eloquence  and  noble  bearing.  I  repeat  to 
you  once  more  that  I  shall  do  what  I  can  to  fulfil  your  wishes. 
We  shall  confer  further  about  it.  At  present,  I  have  the 
honor  to  take  leave  of  your  majesty." 

He  offered  his  hand  to  the  queen.  "  Sire,"  she  said,  pro- 
foundly affected,  "  I  hope  that,  after  making  the  acquaintance 
of  the  hero  of  the  century,  you  will  permit  me  to  remember 
in  yo^^  the  generous  conqueror  as  well  as  the  man  of  genius." 
Napoleon  silently  kissed  her  hand,  and,  bowing  to  the  king, 
left  the  room. 

"  Oh !"  exclaimed  the  queen,  when  she  was  alone  with  her 
husband,  "  perhaps  it  was  not  in  vain  that  I  came  hither ;  God 
may  have  imparted  strength  to  my  words,  and  they  may  have 
moved  the  heart  of  this  all-powerful  man,  so  that  he  will  ac- 
knowledge our  just  demands,  and  shrink  from  becoming  the' 
robber  of  our  property." 

In  the  mean  time  Napoleon  returned  to  his  quarters,  ac- 
companied by  Talleyrand.  But  when  the  minister,  on  their 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON  271 

arrival  at  the  palace,  was  about  to  withdraw,  the  emperor  de- 
tained him.  "  Follow  me  into  my  cabinet,"  he  said,  advanc- 
ing quickly.  Talleyrand  limped  after  him,  and  a  smile,  half 
scornful,  half  malicious,  played  on  his  thin  lips. 

"  The  hero  who  wants  to  rule  over  the  world,"  said  Talley- 
rand to  himself,  "  is  now  seized  with  a  very  human  passion, 
and  I  am  sure  we  shall  have  a  highly  sentimental  scene."  He 
entered  the  room  softly,  and  lurkingly  watched  every  move- 
ment of  Napoleon.  The  emperor  threw  his  small  hat  on  one 
chair,  his  gloves  and  sword  on  another,  and  then  paced  the 
room  repeatedly.  Suddenly  he  stood  still  in  front  of  Talley- 
rand and  looked  him  full  in  the  face. 

"Were  you  able  to  overhear  my  conversation  with  the 
queen?"  he  asked. 

44 1  was,  sire!"  said  Talleyrand,  laconically,  "I  was  able  to 
overhear  every  word." 

"You  know,  then,  for  what  purpose  she  came  hither,"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  and  commenced  again  pacing  the  apart- 
ment. 

44  Talleyrand,"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "  I  have. wronged  this 
lady.  She  is  an  angel  of  goodness  and  purity,  she  is  a  true 
woman  and  a  true  queen.  It  was  a  crime  for  me  to  persecute 
her.  Yes,  I  confess  that  I  was  wrong  in  offending  her.  On 
merely  hearing  the  sound  of  her  voice  I  felt  vanquished,  and 
was  as  confused  and  embarrassed  as  the  most  timid  of  men. 
My  hand  trembled  when  I  offered  her  the  rose.  I  have  slan- 
dered her,  but  I  will  make  compensation!"  He  resumed  his 
walk  rapidly;  a  delicate  blush  mantled  his  cheeks,  and  all  his 
features  indicated  profound  emotion.  Talleyrand,  looking  as 
cold  and  calm  as  usual,  still  stood  at  the  door,  and  seemed  to 
watch  the  emperor  with  the  scrutinizing  eye  of  a  physician 
observing  the  crisis  of  a  disease. 

44  Yes,"  added  Napoleon,  4(  I  ought  certainly  to  compensate 
her  for  what  I  have  done.  She  shall  weep  no  more  on  my  ac- 
count; she  shall  no  more  hate  and  detest  me  as  a  heartless 
conqueror.  I  will  show  her  that  I  can  be  magnanimous,  and 
compel  her  to  admit  that  she  was  mistaken  in  me.  I  will 
raise  Prussia  from  the  dust.  I  will  render  her  more  powerful 
than  ever,  and  enlarge  her  frontiers  instead  of  narrowing 
them.  And  then,  when  her  enchanting  eyes  are  filled  with 
gladness,  I  will  offer  my  hand  to  her  husband  and  say  to  him: 
'You  were  wrong;  you  were  insincere  toward  me,  and  I  pun- 
ished you  for  it.  Now  let  us  forget  your  defeats  and  my  vie- 


272  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

tories;  instead  of  weakening  your  power,  I  will  increase  it 
that  you  may  become  my  ally,  and  remain  so  forever !'  Talley- 
rand, destroy  the  conditions  I  dictated  to  you ;  send  for  Count 
Goltz;  confer  with  him  again,  and  grant  his  demands!" 

"Sire,"  exclaimed  Talleyrand,  apparently  in  dismay,  "sire, 
shall  posterity  say  that  you  failed  to  profit  by  your  most 
splendid  conquest,  owing  to  the  impression  a  beautiful  woman 
made  upon  you?"  The  emperor  started,  and  Talleyrand 
added :  "  Sire,  has  the  blood  of  your  soldiers  who  fell  at  Jena, 
at  Eylau,  and  at  Friedland,  been  shed  in  vain,  and  is  it  to  be 
washed  away  by  the  tears  of  a  lady  who  now  appears  to  be  as 
inoffensive  as  a  lamb,  but  who  is  to  blame  for  this  whole  war? 
Your  majesty  ought  not  to  forget  that  the  Queen  of  Prussia 
instigated  her  husband  to  begin  it — that,  at  the  royal  palace 
of  Berlin,  you  took  a  solemn  oath  to  punish  her,  and  to  take 
revenge  for  her  warlike  spirit,  and  for  the  oath  over  the  tomb 
of  Frederick  the  Great!  Ah,  the  queen,  with  Frederick 
William  and  the  Emperor  Alexander,  would  exult  at  your 
tender-heartedness;  the  world  would  wonder  at  the  weakness 
of  the  great  captain  who  allowed  himself  to  be  duped  by  the 
sighs  and  seeming  humility  of  the  vanquished,  and — " 

"Enough!"  interrupted  Napoleon,  in  a  powerful  voice — 
"  enough,  I  say !"  He  walked  several  times  up  and  down,  and 
then  stood  still  again  in  front  of  Talleyrand.  "  Send  immedi- 
atley  for  Count  Goltz,"  he  said  imperiously,  "and  inform  him 
of  our  ultimatum!  Tell  him  in  plain  words  that  all  I  said  to 
the  queen  were  but  polite  phrases,  binding  me  in  no  manner, 
and  that  I  am  as  firmly  determined  as  ever  to  fix  the  Elbe  as 
the  future  frontier  of  Prussia — that  there  was  no  question  of 
further  negotiations — that  I  had  already  agreed  with  the  Em- 
peror Alexander  as  to  the  various  stipulations,  and  that  the 
king  owed  his  lenient  treatment  solely  to  the  chivalrous  at- 
tachment of  this  monarch,  inasmuch  as,  without  his  interfer- 
ence, my  brother  Jerome  would  have  become  King  of  Prussia, 
while  the  present  dynasty  would  have  been  dethroned.  You 
know  my  resolutions  now ;  proceed  in  accordance  with  them, 
and  hasten  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  affair,  that  I  may  be 
annoyed  no  more.  I  demand  that  the  treaty  be  signed  to- 
morrow." 

Prussia's  fate  was  therefore  decided.  The  great  sacrifice 
which  the  queen  had  made,  and  with  so  much  reluctance,  had 
been  in  vain.  On  the  9th  of  June,  1807,  the  treaty  of  Tilsit 
was  signed  by  the  representatives  of  France  and  Prussia. 


QUEEN  LOUISA  AND  NAPOLEON.  273 

By  virtue  of  it  King  Frederick  William  lost  one-half  of  his 
territories,  consisting  of  all  his  possessions  beyond  the  Elbe : 
Old  Prussia,  Magdeburg,  Hildesheim,  Westphalia,  Friesland, 
Erfurt,  Eichsfeld,  and  Baireuth.  The  Polish  provinces  were 
taken  from  him,  as  well  as  a  portion  of  West  Prussia,  the  dis- 
trict of  Kulm,  including  the  city  of  Thorn,  half  of  the  district 
of  the  Netze,  and  Dantzic,  which  was  transformed  into  a  free 
city.  Besides,  the  king  acknowledged  the  Confederation  of 
the  Rhine,  the  Kings  of  Holland  and  Westphalia,  Napoleon's 
brothers,  and  engaged  to  close  his  ports- against  England. 
And,  as  was  expressly  stated  in  the  document,  these  terms 
were  obtained  only  "  in  consideration  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia, 
and  owing  to  Napoleon's  sincere  desire  to  attach  both  nations 
to  each  other  by  indissoluble  bonds  of  confidence  and  friend- 
ship." 

Russia,  which  had  signed  the  treaty  on  the  preceding  day, 
gained  a  large  portion  of  Eastern  Prussia,  the  frontier  district 
of  Bialystock,  and  thus  enriched  herself  with  the  spoils  taken 
from  her  own  ally. 

Thus  Frederick  William  concluded  peace,  losing  his  most 
important  territories,  and  having  his  ten  millions  of  subjects 
reduced  to  five  millions.  The  genius  of  Prussia,  Queen 
Louisa,  veiled  her  head  and  wept! 


BOOK    IV. 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

BARON   VON  STEIN. 

PROFOUND  sadness  reigned  for  several  weeks  at  the  house 
of  Baron  Charles  von  Stein.  Tears  were  in  the  eyes  of  his 
children,  and  whenever  their  mother  came  from  her  hus- 
band's room  and  joined  them  for  a  moment,  they  seemed  in 
her  only  to  seek  comfort  and  hope.  But  the  anxious  face  of  the 
baroness  became  more  sorrowful,  and  the  family  physician, 
who  visited  the  house  several  times  a  day,  was  more  taciturn 
and  grave.  Baron  von  Stein  was  ill,  and  his  disease  was  one 
of  those  which  baffle  the  skill  of  the  physician,  because  their 
seat  is  to  be  sought  less  in  the  body  than  in  the  mind.  Prus- 
sia's misfortunes  had  prostrated  Stein.  Sick  at  heart,  and 
utterly  broken  down,  at  the  commencement  of  1807,  after  the 
violent  scene  with  King  Frederick  William,  he  left  Konigs- 
berg,  and  travelled  slowly  toward  Nassau.  There  he  met  his 
family,  and  ever  since  lived  in  retirement.  Never  in  his  grief 
had  he  uttered  a  complaint,  or  manifested  any  loss  of  temper, 
but  his  face  had  become  paler,  his  gait  slower,  and  indicative 
of  increasing  weakness  and  exhaustion.  He  yielded  at  last  to 
the  tears  of  his  wife,  and  the  repeated  remonstrances  of  his 
physician,  to  submit  to  medical  treatment. 

But  medicine  did  not  restore  him;  his  strength  decreased, 
and  the  fever  wrecking  his  body  grew  more  violent.  The 
disease  had  recently,  however,  assumed  a  definite  character; 
the  news  of  the  disaster  of  Friedland,  and  of  the  humiliating 
treaty  of  Tilsit,  had  violently  shaken  his  constitution,  and  the 
physician  was  now  able  to  discern  the  true  character  of  the 
malady  and  give  it  a  name.  It  was  the  tertian  fever  which 
alternately  reddened  and  paled  the  baron's  cheeks,  at  times 
paralyzing  his  clear,  powerful  mind,  or  moving  his  lips  to 
utter  unmeaning  words,  the  signs  of  his  delirium. 

Baron  von  Stein  had  just  undergone  another  attack  of  hia 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  275 

dangerous  disease.  All  night  long  his  devoted  wife  had 
watched  at  his  bedside,  and  listened  despoudingly  to  his 
groans,  his  fantastic  expressions,  his  laughter  and  lamenta- 
tions. In  the  morning  the  sufferer  had  grown  calmer;  con- 
sciousness had  returned,  and  his  eyes  sparkled  again  with 
intelligence.  The  fever  had  left  him,  but  he  was  utterly 
prostrated.  The  physician  had  just  paid  him  a  visit,  and  ex- 
amined his  condition  in  silence.  "Dear  doctor,"  whispered 
the  baroness,  as  he  was  departing,  "  you  find  my  husband  very 
ill,  I  suppose?  Oh,  I  read  it  in  your  face;  I  perceive  from 
your  emotion  that  you  have  not  much  hope  of  his  recovery!" 
And  the  tears  she  knew  how  to  conceal  in  the  sick-room  fell 
without  restraint. 

"He  is  very  ill,"  said  the  physician,  thoughtfully,  "but  I 
do  not  believe  his  case  to  be  entirely  hopeless;  for  an  unfore- 
seen circumstance  may  come  to  our  assistance  and  give  his 
mind  some  energy,  when  it  will  favorably  influence  the  body. 
If  the  body  alone  were  suffering,  science  would  suggest  ways 
and  means  to  cure  a  disease  which,  in  itself,  is  easily  over- 
come. The  tertain  fever  belongs  neither  to  the  dangerous 
acute  diseases  nor  to  any  graver  class.  But,  in  this  case,  it  is 
only  the  external  eruption  of  a  disease  seated  in  the  patient's 
mind." 

"  Whence,  then,  is  recovery  to  come  in  these  calami  ton  sand 
depressing  times?"  said  the  baroness,  mournfully.  "  His 
grief  at  the  misfortunes  of  Prussia  is  gnawing  at  his  heart, 
and  all  the  mortifications  and  misrepresentations  he  has  suf- 
fered at  the  hands  of  the  very  men  whom  he  served  with  so 
much  fidelity  have  pierced  his  soul  like  poisoned  daggers. 
Oh,  I  shall  never  pardon  the  king  that  he  could  so  bitterly 
mortify  and  humble  my  noble  husband,  who  is  enthusiastically 
devoted  to  Prussia — that  he  could  mistake  his  character  so 
grievously,  and  prefer  such  cruel  charges  against  him.  He 
called  him — the  best,  the  most  intelligent  and  reliable  of  all 
his  servants — a  seditious  man;  he  charged  him  with  being 
self-willed,  stubborn,  and  proud,  and  said  he  was  mischievous 
and  disobedient  to  the  state.  Oh,  believe  me,  that  accusation 
is  what  troubles  Stein!  The  King  of  Prussia  has  humbled 
his  pride  so  deeply  and  unjustly,  that  a  reconciliation  between 
them  is  out  of  the  question.  Stein  lives,  thinks,  and  grieves 
only  for  his  country,  and  yet  the  insulting  vehemence  and 
unfeeling  words  of  the  king  have  rendered  it  imi>ossil)le  for 
him  ever  to  reenter  the  Prussian  service.  lie  sees  that  his 


276  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

country  is  sinking  every  day,  and  that  she  is  ruined  not  only 
by  foreign  enemies,  but  by  domestic  foes  preying  at  the  vitals 
of  her  administration.  He  would  like  to  help  her — he  feels 
that  he  has  stored  up  the  means  to  do  so  in  his  experience — 
and  yet  he  cannot.  I  ask  you,  therefore,  my  friend,  where  is 
the  balm  for  his  wounded  soul?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  said  the  physician,  "but  we  must  get  it. 
Germany  has  not  now  so  many  high-minded  and  courageous 
men  that  she  could  spare  one,  and  the  best  of  them  all.  The 
genius  of  Germany  will  assuredly  find  a  remedy  to  save  her 
noble  champion,  Baron  von  Stein." 

"  Ah,  you  believe  still  in  the  genius  of  Germany?"  asked 
the  baroness,  mournfully.  "  You  see  all  the  horrors,  the 
shame,  the  degradation  that  Germany,  and  especially  Prussia, 
have  to  suffer!  The  calamities  of  our  country,  then,  my 
friend,  have  transformed  you  into  a  believer,  and  made  of  the 
rationalist  a  mystic,  believing  in  miracles?  You  know  I  was 
hitherto  pious,  and  a  faithful  believer,  but  now  I  begin  to 
doubt.  Now  I  ask  myself  anxiously  whether  there  really  is  a 
God  in  heaven,  who  directs  and  ordains  every  thing,  and  yet 
permits  us  to  be  thus  trampled  in  the  dust." 

"  Our  duty  is,  perhaps,  to  strengthen  ourselves  by  misfor- 
tunes," said  the  physician.  "Germany  was  sleeping  so  pro- 
foundly that  she  could  only  be  aroused  by  calamity,  and 
become  fully  alive  to  her  degrading  position.  But,  believe 
me,  she  is  opening  her  eyes,  and  seeking  for  those  who  can 
help  her.  She  cannot  forget  Baron  von  Stein ;  but  must  feel 
that  she  stands  in  need  of  him." 

"May  you  be  a  true  prophet!"  said  the  baroness,  sighing, 
"and  that  your  words — but  hark!'  she  interrupted  herself, 
"  some  one  is  violently  ringing  the  door-bell !  He  must  be  a 
stranger,  for  none  of  the  citizens  would  announce  a  visit  in  so 
noisy  a  manner.  The  inhabitants  manifest  sympathy  for  us; 
many  come  every  morning  to  inquire  about  my  husband. 
Without  solicitation  our  neighbors  have  spread  a  layer  of  straw 
in  front  of  the  house,  and  along  the  street,  that  no  noise  may 
disturb  the  beloved  sufferer,  and — " 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  a  footman  stated  that  a 
stranger  desired  to  see  the  baroness  concerning  a  matter  of 
great  importance. 

"Me?"  she  asked,  wonderingly. 

"He  asked  first  for  Baron  von  Stein,"  replied  the  footman, 
"  and  when  I  told  him  that  my  master  was  very  ill,  he  seemed 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  277 

alarmed.  But  he  bade  me  announce  his  visit  to  the  baroness, 
and  tell  her  that  he  had  made  a  long  journey,  and  was  the 
bearer  of  important  news." 

"Admit  him,  baroness,"  said  the  physician;  "he  brings, 
perhaps,  news  that  may  be  good  for  our  patient.  As  for  me, 
permit  me  to  withdraw." 

"No,  my  dear  doctor,  you  must  stay,"  she  said.  "You 
are  an  intimate  friend  of  my  husband  and  of  my  family,  and 
this  person  cannot  have  any  thing  to  say  to  me  that  you  may 
not  hear.  Besides,  your  advice  and  assistance  may  be  neces- 
sary ;  and  if  the  news  should  be  important  for  my  husband, 
you  ought  not  to  be  absent." 

"Well,  if  you  wish  me  to  stay,  I  will,"  said  the  physician; 
"  who  knows  whether  my  hopes  may  not  be  presently  realized?" 

"Admit  the  stranger,"  said  the  baroness;  and  he  entered  a 
few  minutes  afterward. 

"  High-Chamberlain  von  Schladen!"  she  exclaimed,  meet- 
ing him. 

"You  recognize  me,  then,  madame?"  asked  M.  von  Schla- 
den. "  The  memories  of  past  times  have  not  altogether  van- 
ished in  this  house,  and  one  ma^  hope — "  At  this  moment 
his  eyes  met  the  physician,  and  he  paused. 

"  Doctor  von  Waldau,"  said  the  baroness,  14  a  faithful  friend 
of  my  husband,  and  at  present  his  indefatigable  physician. 
He  is  one  of  us,  and  you  may  speak  freely  in  his  presence, 
Mr.  Chamberlain." 

"  Permit  me,  then,  to  apply  to  you  directly,  and  to  ask  you 
whether  Baron  von  Stein  is  so  ill  that  I  cannot  see  him  about 
grave  and  important  business?" 

"  The  baron  is  very  ill,"  said  the  physician,  "  but  there  is  no 
immediate  danger;  and,  as  the  fever  has  left  him  to-day,  he 
will  be  able  to  converse  about  serious  matters — that  is  to  say, 
if  they  are  not  of  a  very  sad  and  disheartening  character." 

"Grief  for  Prussia's  misfortunes  is  my  husband's  disease," 
said  the  baroness;  "consider  well,  therefore,  if  what  you  in- 
tend telling  him  will  aggravate  it,  or  bring  him  relief.  If  a 
change  for  the  better  has  taken  place — if  you  bring  him  the 
news  that  that  disgraceful  treaty  pf  Tilsit  has  been  repudi- 
ated, and  that  the  war  will  continue,  it  will  be  a  salutary 
medicine,  and,  in  spite  cf  the  warlike  character  of  your  news, 
you  will  appear  as  an  angel  of  peace  at  his  bedside.  But  if 
you  come  only  to  confirm  the  disastrous  tidings  that  have 
prostrated  him,  it  may  cause  his  death." 


278  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  I  do  not  bring  any  warlike  tidings,"  said  M.  von  Schladen, 
sadly ;  "  I  do  not  bring  intelligence  that  the  treaty  of  Tilsit 
has  been  repudiated !  Hence,  I  cannot,  as  yon  say,  appear  as 
an  angel  of  peace.  Nevertheless,  I  do  not  come  croaking  of 
our  disasters.  I  come  in  the  name  of,  and  commissioned  by 
Prussia,  to  remind  Baron  von  Stein  of  the  words  he  uttered  to 
the  queen  when  he  took  leave  of  her.  You,  sir,  being  his 
physician,  are  alone  able  to  decide  whether  I  may  see  him,  and 
lay  my  communication  before  him.  For  this  reason  I  must 
tell  you  more  explicitly  why  I  have  come.  You  permit  me 
to  do  so,  I  suppose,  baroness?" 

"Oh,  speak!  my  heart  is  yearning  for  your  words!"  ex- 
claimed the  baroness. 

"  I  come  to  see  Baron  von  Stein,  not  merely  because  I  long 
to  speak  to  the  man  for  whom  I  entertain  so  much  love  and 
respect,"  said  M.  von  Schladen,  "but  I  come  in  the  name  of 
the  king  and  queen.  I  bring  him  letters  from  Minister  von 
Hardenberg,  from  the  Princess  Louisa  von  Radziwill,  and  from 
General  Bliicher,  and  verbal  communications  from  the  queen. 
I  have  travelled  without  taking  a  moment's  rest  in  order  to 
deliver  my  letters  as  soon  as  possible,  and  to  inform  the  baron 
of  the  wishes  of  their  majesties.  And  now  that  I  have  arrived 
at  my  destination,  I  find  the  man  sick  in  bed  who  is  the  only 
hope  of  Prussia.  You  will,  perhaps,  even  shut  his  door 
against  me,  and  all  the  greetings  of  love,  the  solicitations 
and  supplications  which  I  bring,  will  not  reach  him !  It  would 
be  a.  heavy  misfortune  for  Prussia  and  for  the  deeply-afflicted 
king,  who  is  looking  hopefully  toward  Baron  von  Stein!" 

"He  is  looking  hopefully  toward  my  husband,"  exclaimed 
the  baroness,  reproachfully,  "  and  yet  it  was  he  who  insulted 
the  baron  in  so  grievous  a  manner!" 

"  But  the  king  repents  of  it,  and  desires  to  indemnify  him 
for  it,"  said  M.  von  Schladen.  "  I  come  to  request  Baron  von 
Stein  to  return  to  Prussia,  and  to  become  once  more  the  king's 
minister  and  adviser." 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  the  physician,  joyfully,  "  you  see  now  that  I 
am  a  true  prophet.  The  genius  of  Germany  has  found  a 
remedy  to  cure  our  noble  sufferer." 

"You  permit  me,  then,  to  speak  to  him?"  asked  M.  von 
Schladen. 

"  I  request  you  to  do  so,"  replied  the  physician.  "  I  demand 
that  you  go  to  him  immediately,  and  speak  to  him  freely  and 
unreservedly.  His  mind  is  in  need  of  a  vigorous  shock  to 


BARON  VON  STEIN.  279 

become  again  conscious  of  its  own  strength;  when  it  has  re- 
gained this  consciousness,  the  body  will  rise  from  its  pros- 
tration." 

"Doctor,  I  am  somewhat  afraid,"  said  the  baroness,  anx- 
iously. "  He  was  of  late  so  nervous  and  irritable,  you  know, 
that  the  most  trifling  occurrence  caused  him  to  tremble  and 
covered  his  brow  with  perspiration.  I  am  afraid  these  stir- 
ring communications  may  make  too  powerful  an  impression 
upon  him." 

"  Never  mind,"  exclaimed  the  physician;  "  let  them  make  a 
powerful  impression  upon  him — let  them  even  cause  him  to 
faint — I  do  not  fear  the  consequences  in  the  least ;  on  the 
contrary,  I  desire  them,  for  the  shock  of  his  nervous  system 
will  be  salutary,  and  bring  about  a  crisis  that  will  lead  to  his 
recovery." 

"  But,  doctor,  excuse  me,  you  know  he  had  a  raging  fever 
all  night,  and  is  exhausted.  What  good  will  it  do  to  com- 
municate the  news  to  him?  He  cannot  obey  the  king's  call, 
and,  at  best,  weeks  must  pass  before  recovering  sufficiently  to 
attend  to  state  matters." 

"  Ah,  Baron  von  Stein  accomplishes  in  days  what  others 
perform  only  in  weeks,"  exclaimed  the  physician,  smiling. 
"  He  is  one  of  those  men  whose  mind  has  complete  control  of 
his  body.  In  his  case,  if  you  cure  the  one  you  cure  the  other." 

"  But  I  doubt  whether  my  husband  will  accept  these  offers 
of  the  king,"  said  the  baroness,  hesitatingly;  "he  has  been 
insulted  too  grossly." 

"But  he  is  a  patriot  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,"  said 
M.  von  Schladen;  "  he  will  forget  personal  insult  when  the 
welfare  of  the  people  is  at  stake." 

"And  even  though  he  should  not  accept,"  said  the  phy- 
sician, "  he  receives  at  least  a  gratifying  satisfaction  in  the 
king's  offer,  and  that  will  assuredly  be  a  balm  for  his  wounds. 
I  shall  now  go  to  him  once  more.  If  he  is  entirely  free  from 
fever,  I  will  let  you  come  in,  and  you  may  tell  him  every 
thing." 

"But  you  will  not  go  away,"  said  the  baroness;  "you  will 
stay  here,  so  as  to  be  at  hand  in  case  any  thing  should 
happen." 

"  I  shall  remain  in  this  room, "said  the  physician,  "  and  you 
may  call  me  if  necessary.  Now  let  me  see  first  how  our  patient 
is,  and  whether  I  may  announce  M.  von  Schladen 's  visit."  Ho 
hastened  back  into  the  sick-room  without  waiting  for  a  reply; 


280  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  baroness  sank  down  on  a  chair,  and,  folding  her  trembling 
hands,  prayed  fervently.  High-Chamberlain  von  Schladen 
looked  at  the  door  by  which  the  physician  had  disappeared, 
and  his  face  expressed  suspense  and  impatience. 

At  length  the  door  opened  again,  and  the  physician  ap- 
peared on  the  threshold.  "  High-Chamberlain  von  Schladen," 
he  said  aloud,  " come  in;  Baron  von  Stein  awaits  you." 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

THE   PATEIOT. 

HIGH-CHAMBERLAIN  VON  SCHLADEN  entered  the  sick-room 
on  tiptoe,  preceded  by  the  Baroness  von  Stein,  who,  hasten- 
ing to  her  husband,  looked  at  him  anxiously.  In  fact,  the 
baron  looked  very  ill.  His  cheeks  were  hollow  and  deadly 
pale;  his  eyes  lay  deep  in  their  sockets,  and  were  flashing 
with  that  peculiar  light  emanating  from  the  fever;  his  thin 
lips  were  parched,  and  he  constantly  tried  to  moisten  them 
with  his  tongue,  while  his  breathing  was  very  painful. 

M.  von  Schladen  looked  in  profound  emotion  at  the  patient, 
and  a  feeling  of  melancholy  was  apparent.  He  was  obliged 
to  acknowledge  that  the  baroness  was  right,  and  that  this 
wasted  form  was  not  able  to  rise  to  obey  the  king's  call ;  he 
believed  that  he  had  come  in  vain,  and  would  be  compelled 
to  leave  without  having  accomplished  any  thing,  and  this  con- 
viction was  accompanied  with  a  sigh.  The  sick  man  heard 
it,  and  a  faint  smile  passed  over  his  features.  "  You  find  me 
very  ill  then,  M.  von  Schladen?"  he  asked  in  a  tremulous 
voice.  "  I  suppose  I  am  but  the  shadow  of  the  healthy,  vigor - 
.  ous  man  who  took  leave  of  you  at  Konigsberg  a  few  months 
since?  You  see,  I  am  still  unable  to  give  up  my  sympathies 
for  Prussia;  indeed,  I  am  like  her  in  every  respect.  Prussia 
is  also  but  a  shadow  of  what  she  was  a  short  time  ago ;  she  is 
undergoing  her  death-struggle,  and  will  succumb  unless  a 
strong  arm  soon  lift  her  up." 

"But  this  strong  arm  will  come,"  said  M.  von  Schladen. 

"You  believe  so?"  asked  Stein.  "Would  you  were  right! 
But  all  I  hear  is  disheartening.  We  live  in  a  period  of 
degradation  and  servitude,  when  we  can  do  nothing  better 
than  seek  a  refuge  in  the  grave,  the  only  place  where  we  may 
find  liberty.  You  see  that  I  am  already  on  the  brink.  But 


THE  PATRIOT.  281 

I  will  not  now  speak  of  myself,  but  of  yon.  What  brought 
you  hither?  To  what  lucky  accident  am  I  indebted  for  your 
visit?  My  physician  has  told  me  you  had  casually  stopped  in 
this  town,  and  being  informed  of  my  illness  had  desired  to  see 
me.  What  is  your  destination?" 

"  I  am  returning  to  Memel,  to  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Prussia,"  said  M.  von  Schladen. 

"Ah,  you  are  a  faithful  servant,  and  I  envy  you,"  said 
Baron  von  Stein,  "  for  your  services  are  gratefully  accepted ; 
you  are  not  treated  with  contumely,  and  your  zeal  is  not  re- 
garded as  malice  and  self-will.  You  may  assist  your  country 
with  your  head,  your  arm,  and  your  heart.  You  are  not 
doomed  to  step  aside,  and  idly  dream  away  your  days  instead 
of  seeking  relief  in  useful  activity.  Oh,  I  repeat  again,  I 
envy  you !"  While  he  was  speaking,  his  pale  cheeks  had  as- 
sumed some  color,  and  his  voice,  which,  at  first,  had  been 
faint,  grew  louder.  But  now,  exhausted  by  the  effort,  and  by 
his  profound  emotion,  he  sank  back  on  the  pillow  and  closed 
his  eyes. 

His  wife  bent  over  him,  and  wiped  off  the  perspiration 
which  covered  his  brow  in  large  drops.  In  the  open  door 
leading  into  the  adjoining  room,  appeared  the  kind  face  of 
the  physician,  who  looked  scrutinizingly  at  the  patient.  He 
then  nodded  in  a  satisfied  manner,  and  whispered  to  the  high- 
chamberlain:  "Goon!  go  on!  Tell  him  every  thing.  He 
can  bear  it. " 

Baron  von  Stein  opened  his  eyes  again  and  glanced  at  M. 
von  Schladen.  "  You  did  not  yet  tell  me  whence  you  came, 
my  dear  friend?"  he  said.  "Was  your  journey  a  mere  pleas- 
nre-trip,  or  were  graver  purposes  connected  with  it?" 

"  It  was  no  pleasure-trip,  for  what  German  cares  nowadays 
for  such  things?"  said  M.  von  Schladen.  "  My  purpose,  in 
undertaking  this  journey,  was  not  only  a  grave,  but  a  sacred 
one.  I  undertook  it  for  the  welfare  of  our  country,  and  I 
come  to  solicit  your  advice.  I  know  you  loved  Prussia  once; 
you  will  not,  although  yon  are  no  longer  in  her  service,  with- 
hold your  sympathy  from  her-,  when  you  can  be  useful,  you 
will  joyfully  render  her  aid,  will  you  not?" 

"Yes,  indeed  I  will,"  exclaimed  Baron  von  Stein;  "my 
thoughts  were  with  you  all  the  time;  my  grief  arises  from 
your  affliction  and  the  misfortunes  of  Prussia;  every  new  blow 
inflicted  upon  her  fell  on  me,  and  her  rum  prostrated  me. 
Tell  me,  in  what  way  can  I  aid  you?" 


282  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Your .  excellency,  by  assisting  me  in  finding  the  man 
whom  I  am  seeking ;  on  whom  the  eyes  of  all  good  Prussians 
are  fixed,  and  who  is  alone  able  to  save  the  country,  to  rees- 
tablish its  prosperity  at  home,  and  to  obtain  for  it  respect 
and  authority  abroad.  The  man  whom  the  queen  calls  her 
friend,  and  of  whom  she  expects  help — to  whom  the  king 
offers  his  hand,  and  whom  he  begs  (understand  me  well,  begs) 
to  sustain  him  with  his  strong  arm  and  his  powerful  mind, 
and,  for  the  sake  of  Prussia,  not  to  remember  the  wrongs  he 
suffered  in  by-gone  days — your  excellency,  I  am  seeking  this 
high-minded  man,  who  forgets  insults,  and  yet  does  not  close 
his  ears  against  the  cry  of  his  country ;  whom  adversity  does 
not  deter,  and  whom  the  burden  to  be  laid  on  his  shoulders 
does  not  cause  to  tremble ;  who  forgets  his  own  interests  in 
order  to  have  the  satisfaction  of  saving  a  state  to  which,  from 
his  youth,  he  has  devoted  his  strength — the  man  in  whom  all 
patriots  confide,  whom  Hardenberg,  when  Napoleon's  despotic 
will  compelled  him  to  resign  his  office,  pointed  out  to  the  king 
as  the  only  one  by  whom  Prussia  might  still  be  redeemed. 
Your  excellency,  can  you  tell  me  where  I  may  find  this  man?" 

While  M.  von  Schladen  was  speaking,  Stein  slowly  raised 
his  head  to  listen.  His  countenance  had  undergone  a  mar- 
vellous change ;  his  features  had  regained  their  wonted  ex- 
pression, and  his  eyes  beamed  with  energy. 

"  Your  excellency,"  asked  Schladen  again,  "can  you  tell  me 
where  I  may  find  this  man  for  whom  all  Prussia  is  calling?" 

"  You  have  not  yet  told  me  his  name,"  whispered  Baron 
von  Stein.  "  To  find  him  it  is  necessary  to  know  his  name." 

"  His  name  is  on  this  letter  which  the  Princess  von  Radzi- 
will  requested  me  to  deliver  to  him,"  said  Schladen,  taking 
one  from  his  memorandum-book,  and  handing  it  to  the 
patient. 

Baron  von  Stein  quickly  took  it,  and,  on  looking  at  the 
superscription,  he  muttered,  "  My  name !  my  name  is  on  the 
letter  1" 

"  And  it  is  your  name  that  is  now  on  all  Prussian  lips — that 
the  queen  is  calling  from  afar — that  the  king — " 

"  Ah,"  interrupted  Baron  von  Stein,  "  the  king  has  insulted 
me  too  deeply ;  I  should  almost  dishonor  myself  if  I  forget  it !" 

"  You  will  shed  the  most  radiant  honor  on  your  name  by 
forgiving  it,"  exclaimed  M.  de  Schladen.  "The  king  has 
commissioned  me  to  tell  you  that  he  hopes  in  you  alone.  He 
will  intrust  to  you  the  department  of  the  interior  and  of 


THE  PATRIOT.  283 

finance;  he  assures  you  of  his  most  implicit  confidence;  ho 
promises  never  to  allude  again  to  what  has  passed  between 
him  and  you.  Here,  your  excellency,  is  a  communication 
from  Minister  von  Hardenberg,  which  will  confirm  all  I  have 
said." 

He  laid  another  letter  on  the  table.  Baron  von  Stein  took 
it  and  looked  at  the  address  with  a  faint  smile.  "  It  is  Har- 
denberg's  handwriting,"  he  said;  "  he  is  a  genuine  courtier, 
and  takes  it  always  for  granted  that  the  king's  will  is  a  sacred 
law  for  every  one.  He  calls  me  already  'Prussian  Minister  of 
Finance.'  And  the  queen?"  he  then  asked,  raising  his  eyes 
to  M.  von  Schladen.  "  What  does  she  say  ?  Does  she  be- 
lieve, too,  that  I  can  forget,  forgive,  and  return?" 

"  The  queen  believes  it,  because  she  wishes  it,  your  excel- 
lency. 'Stein  is  my  last  consolation,'  she  said  to  me  when  I 
took  leave  of  her.  'Being  a  man  of  magnanimity  and  the 
keenest  sagacity,  he  may  be  able  to  discover  ways  and  means 
of  saving  the  country  that  are  as  yet  concealed  from  us.  Tell 
him  that,  when  he  comes,  the  sun  will  rise  again  for  me;  tell 
him  to  remember  the  sacred  vow  I  received  from  him  to  stand 
faithfully  by  us,  and  to  come  when  Prussia  stands  in  need  of 
him,  and  calls  him  to  her  assistance.  Tell  him  that  his  queen 
prays  Heaven  to  restore  to  her  country  the  man  who  is  a  de- 
fence against  wrong  and  injustice,  and  one  of  the  noblest  sons 
of  Germany. ' ' 

Baron  von  Stein  cast  down  his  eyes;  his  lips  were  trem- 
bling; and  tears  rolled  slowly  down  his  cheeks. 

"Your  excellency,"  said  M.  von  Schladen,  urgently,  "will 
you  not  read  the  letters?  That  from  the  Princess  Louisa  von 
Radziwill  will  give  you  a  more  graphic  description  of  the  pres- 
ent situation  of  the  court  than  I  am  able  to  do ;  the  one  from 
Minister  von  Hardenberg  will  tell  you  what  to  do,  and  how 
important  and  necessary  it  is  that  you  should  come  as  speedily 
as  possible.  In  Hardenberg's  letter  you  will  also  find  a  brief 
note  from  General  Bliicher,  who  joins  in  these  solicitations. 
I  have  been  permitted  to  read  these  letters,  that,  if  they  were 
lost  on  the  way,  I  should,  nevertheless,  be  able  to  commu- 
nicate their  contents  to  you.  Will  you  not  read  them?" 

"Yes,"  said  Baron  von  Stein,  breathing  more  freely,  "I 
will  read  them.  They  are  the  first  doves  that,  after  the  long 
deluge  of  affliction,  come  to  me  with  an  olive-branch  of  peace. 
I  will  see  what  the  letters  contain."  He  hastily  opened  that 
from  the  Princess  Louisa  and  commenced  reading  it.  But 


284  NAPOLEON   AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  paper  soon  dropped  from  his  hand;  a  death-like  pallor 
overspread  his  cheeks,  and,  almost  fainting,  he  fell  back  on 
the  pillow.  "Alas,"  he  murmured  mournfully,  "I  forget 
that  I  am  a  poor,  sick  man !  I  cannot  read ;  the  letters  swim 
before  my  eyes!"  But  this  faintness  lasted  only  a  moment; 
Stein  then  raised  his  head  again,  and  turned  his  eyes  with  a 
tender  expression  toward  his  wife,  who  was  sitting  at  his  bed- 
side, and  watching  all  his  movements  with  anxious  suspense. 
"Dear  Wilhelmina,"  he  said,  "you  have  been  my  secretary 
during  the  last  few  weeks,  and  have  rendered  evil  tidings  less 
disagreeable  to  me ;  will  you  not  read  these  cheering  letters  to 
me?" 

The  baroness  bent  over  him,  and,  in  place  of  a  reply,  kissed 
his  forehead.  She  then  read  as  follows: 

"  Your  friend  Hardenberg  and  the  newspapers  will  have 
informed  you  of  the  melancholy  end  of  all  our  hopes.  Cow- 
ardice and  weakness,  perhaps  more  than  the  luck  of  our 
enemies,  have  subjugated  us,  and  Hardenberg's  resignation, 
which  he  tendered  voluntarily,  in  order  to  be  useful  to  us 
even  by  this  sacrifice,  and  to  preserve  the  king  from  the 
humiliation  of  dismissing  him,  causes  us  to  feel  our  yoke 
painfully.  I  promised  to  write  to  you  about  the  king.  He 
deserves  our  sympathy  at  this  moment;  his  courage  and  firm- 
ness have  not  been  shaken  by  our  last  disasters ;  he  was  ready 
to  make  any  sacrifice,  because  he  thought  it  better  to  fall  nobly 
than  to  live  dishonorably.  He  clung  with  sincere  attachment 
to  your  friend  Hardenberg,  and  just  at  this  moment  when  all 
are  deserting  him,  when  he  has  neither  power  nor  will,  he 
loses  this  well-tried  friend,  who,  actuated  by  his  love  of  the 
country,  and  affection  for  his  master,  left  him  with  a  grief 
that  deeply  moved  my  heart.  At  this  moment  the  eyes  of  us 
all  are  turning  toward  you,  my  dear  Stein.  From  you  we 
hope  for  consolation,  and  for  forgetfulness  of  the  wrongs 
which  have  removed  you  from  us,  and  which  you  will  be  too 
generous  to  remember  at  a  time  when  he  who  insulted  you 
only  deserves  your  sympathy  and  assistance.  Can  you  with- 
stand our  solicitations?  Can  you  see  this  country  deserted, 
and  refuse  to  it  the  cooperation  of  those  talents  that  alone  are 
able  to  raise  us  from  our  prostration?  Hardenberg  sees  no 
other  hope  for  his  master  than  in  you,  and  if  you  are  not  re- 
stored to  us — if  you  do  not  yield  to  the  wishes  of  those  yearn- 
ing for  you,  what  is  to  become  of  our  future? 

"  I  admit  that  to  call  upon  you  to  share  our  fortune  is  to 


THE  PATRIOT.  285 

deem  yon  capable  of  the  greatest  disinterestedness;  for  noth- 
ing has  ever  been  done  by  you  to  deserve  the  conduct  formerly 
manifested  toward  you;  but  your  soul  is  too  generous  to  re- 
member those  insults,  and  I  know  you  too  well  not  to  be  sure 
that  you  will  unhesitatingly  come  to  the  assistance  of  this  un- 
fortunate prince,  who  for  five  months  possesses  just  claims  to 
sympathy.  Even  at  this  juncture  he  maintains  his  dignity; 
he  has  gained  friends  and  zealous  adherents,  and  appears  to 
me  'never  more  estimable  than  since  these  disasters,  in  which 
I  have  seen  him  assert  a  courage  and  resignation  of  which  I 
should  never  have  deemed  him  capable.  It  grieved  me  to  see 
Ilardeuberg  depart;  he  himself  is  very  sad,  and  I  am  sure  that 
only  the  hope  of  restoring  you  to  the  service  of  his  master  sus- 
tains him.  Do  not  refuse  to  comply  with  our  request,  my 
dear  Stein,  and  be  not  as  cruel  as  that  destiny  which  is  taking 
from  us  all  the  distinguished  characters  that  were  able  to  rec- 
oncile us  with  life  and  mankind.  I  look  for  your  reply  with 
impatience;  may  it  be  favorable  to  us!  It  needs  no  assurance 
of  mine  to  make  you  believe  in  the  affectionate  and  constant 
attachment  which  I  have  always  felt  for  you. 

"  LOUISA." 

Stein  listened  to  the  letter  with  eyes  half  closed.  A  faint 
blush  had  gradually  suffused  his  cheeks,  and  a  smile  was  play- 
ing on  his  lips.  "  And  what  do  you  think  of  this  letter, 
Wilhelmina?"  he  then  asked.  "  What  does  your  heart  reply 
to  this  call?" 

"  I  am  fearful  for  you,  my  beloved  friend, "  said  the  baron- 
ess, mournfully.  "  My  heart  shrinks  from  this  career  into 
which  you  will  reenter,  and  in  which  you  will  be  exposed 
again  to  ingratitude,  and  the  persecutions  of  your  enemies." 

"Not  to  ingratitude,  "said  M.  von  Schladen.  "All  Prussia 
will  be  grateful  to  you,  and  the  king  will  be  the  first  to  thank 
and  reward  you  with  his  friendship  for  having  complied  with 
his  invitation.  Your  excellency,  will  you  not  read  the  letter 
from  Minister  von  Hardenberg?  It  will  tell  you  in  the  most 
convincing  manner  how  firmly  you  may  rely  on  the  king  and 
on  his  gratitude,  and  how  necessary  it  is  that  you  should  re- 
pair to  him  as  soon  as  possible." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  hear  any  more,"  exclaimed  Stein,  in  a 
loud  voice.  "  It  shall  not  be  said  that  the  flattering  words  of 
a  friend  induced  me  to  do  what  is  my  duty.  Call  the  doctor; 
I  must  see  the  doctor!" 

"The  doctor  is  here,"  said  Dr.  von  Waldau,  entering  the 

M — MUHLBACH  Vol..     10 


286  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

room.  "  When  patients  are  able  to  shout  in  such  stentorian 
tones,  they  must  indeed  stand  in  need  of  assistance." 

"  Doctor,"  exclaimed  Stein,  "come  here;  feel  my  pulse, 
look  me  full  in  the  face,  and  tell  me,  upon  your  honor,  when 
I  shall  be  able  to  set  out." 

The  physician  took  the  proffered  hand  and  laid  his  finger 
on  the  pulse.  A  pause  ensued ;  all  looked  in  breathless  sus- 
pense on  his  face.  The  doctor  smilingly  nodded.  "  It  has 
turned  out  as  I  predicted,"  he  exclaimed.  "The  'genius  of 
Germany'  has  come  to  our  assistance,  and  saved  her  bravest 
and  noblest  champion.  The  pulse  is  regular  and  strong,  as  it 
has  not  been  for  weeks.  The  crisis  for  which  I  hoped  so  long 
has  taken  place.  Baron  von  Stein,  in  two  weeks  you  will  be 
well  enough  to  set  out." 

"In  two  weeks!"  exclaimed  the  baron,  in  a  contemptuous 
tone  of  voice.  "  You  did  not  hear,  then,  that  Prussia  stands 
in  need  of  me ;  that  the  king  calls  me,  and  that  Hardenberg 
tells  me  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  I  should  immediately 
enter  upon  the  duties  of  my  office?  No,  I  shall  not  depart  in 
two  weeks,  nor  in  two  days,  but  immediately!"  He  raised 
himself  in  his  bed,  and  imperiously  stretching  out  his  arms, 
he  exclaimed,  "My  clothes!  I  will  rise!  I  have  no  more 
time  to  be  sick!  Give  me  my  clothes!" 

"But  my  beloved  friend,"  exclaimed  the  baroness,  in  dis- 
may, "  this  is  impossible ;  just  consider  that  the  fever  has  ex- 
hausted your  strength,  that — " 

"Hush,  do  not  contradict  him,"  whispered  the  physician. 
"  The  contradiction  would  irritate  him,  and  might  easily 
bring  about  a  fresh  attack  of  fever." 

"My  clothes!  my  clothes!"  exclaimed  Baron  von  Stein, 
louder  and  more  imperiously  than  before,  and  he  cast  angry 
glances  on  his  wife. 

The  physician  himself  hastened  to  the  clothes-press,  and, 
taking  the  silken  dressing-gown  from  it,  carried  it  to  the 
patient.  "Here  is  your  dressing-gown,"  he  said;  "let  me  be 
your  valet  de  chambre."  Baron  von  Stein  thanked  him  with 
a  smile,  and  lifted  up  his  arms  that  the  garment  might  be 
wrapped  around  him. 

"And  here  are  your  slippers,"  said  the  baroness;  "  let  me 
put  them  on  your  feet." 

"  And  permit  me  to  support  you  when  you  rise,"  said  M.  von 
Schladen,  approaching  the  bed.  "  Oh,  lean  on  me  only  for 
a  moment;  afterward  the  whole  of  Prussia  will  lean  on  you." 


THE  PATRIOT. 

Baron  von  Stein  made  no  reply.  He  put  on  the  dressing- 
gown  and  the  slippers,  and  then  raised  himself,  assisted  by 
M.  von  Schladeu.  But  his  face  was  pallid,  and  large  drops 
of  perspiration  gathered  on  his  forehead.  lit-  left  his  couch, 
and  stood  free  and  erect.  "I  am  well  again!"  he  exclaimed. 
"Prussia  calls  me!  I  am  not  allowed  to  be  ill;  I—  His 
voice  died  away  in  a  faint  groan;  his  head  bent  down,  and  his 
form  sank  to  the  floor.  M.  von  Schladeu  and  the  baroness 
caught  him  in  their  arms,  and  placed  him  again  on  his  bed. 

"Doctor,"  exclaimed  the  baroness,  in  a  menacing  tone,  "if 
he  die,  you  are  his  murderer;  you  have  killed  him!" 

"Xo,"said  the  physician,  quietly,  "I  have  .saved  him. 
This  swoon  is  the  last  struggle  of  death  with  triumphant  life. 
When  Baron  von  Stein  awakes  he  will  be  no  longer  seriously 
ill,  but  convalescent.  When  he  is  conscious  again,  the  crisis 
is  over.  See,  he  begins  to  stir!  Ah,  his  brave  mind  will  not 
suffer  his  body  to  rest,  and  will  assuredly  awaken  it." 

The  baron  very  soon  opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  with  a  per- 
fectly calm  and  conscious  expression,  first  at  his  wife, then  at  the 
physician  and  the  king's  messenger.  "M.  von  Schladen,"  he 
said,  "will  you  read  to  me  Hardeuberg's  letter?  Wilhelmina, 
lay  your  arm  around  me  and  support  my  head  a  little.  Wal- 
dau  is  right;  I  will  not  be  able  to  set  out  to-day.  I  am  still 
very  weak." 

"But  you  will  be  able  to  set  out  in  ten  days,"  exclaimed 
the  physician.  "  You  see  I  yield  to  you.  I  ask  no  longer  for 
two  weeks,  but  only  for  ten  days." 

Baron  von  Stein  gave  him  his  hand  with  a  grateful  glance. 
"And  now,  High-Chamberlain  von  Schladen,  I  request  you 
to  read  once  more  Ilardenberg's  communication."  M.  von 
Schladeu  looked  inquiringly  at  the  physician,  who  nodded  his 
consent. 

"  Read,  read,"  said  the  baron,  entreatingly,  supporting  his 
head  against  his  wife's  shoulder.  M.  von  Schladen  opened 
the  letter,  and  laid  General  Bliicher's  note,  enclosed  in  it,  on 
the  table  and  commenced  reading. 

The  letter  urgently  requested  Baron  von  Stein  to  accept  the 
two  departments  of  finance  and  of  the  interior,  which  the  king 
wished  to  intrust  to  him  because  the  welfare  of  Prussia  re- 
quired it.  Besides,  Harden  berg  asked  Stein  to  repair  im- 
mediately to  the  king,  because  it  was  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance that  the  ears  of  Frederick  William  should  not  be  besieged 
again  by  hostile  insinuations.  He  gave  him  cautious  hints  as 


288  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

to  the  manner  in  which  he  would  have  to  win  the  confidence 
of  Frederick  William,  and  assured  him  that  he  would  retain 
it,  provided  he  never  pretended  to  rule  over  the  king.  He 
called  upon  him  in  the  name  of  Prussia  and  Germany  not  to 
decline  the  difficult  task,  but  to  fulfil  the  hopes  which  patriots 
were  reposing  in  him.  He  advised  him  to  impose  such  con- 
ditions as  he  might  deem  prudent  before  accepting  the  offer, 
and  to  address  a  letter  to  his  majesty  in  regard  to  them. 

A  pause  ensued.  Stein  had  listened  to  the  words  of  his 
friends  in  silence.  All  looked  at  him  anxiously.  His  face 
was  calm,  and  when  he  slowly  opened  his  eyes,  they  indicated 
entire  composure. 

"  High-chamberlain  von  Schladen,"  asked  Stein,  "you  have 
made  the  long  journey  from  Memel  to  this  place  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  deliver  to  me  these  letters  and  the  order  of 
the  king?" 

"  It  was  the  only  object  of  my  journey,"  said  M.  von  Schla- 
den. "  I  travelled  by  way  of  Copenhagen  and  Hamburg,  in 
order  to  avoid  French  spies." 

"And  when  do  you  intend  setting  out  again?"  asked  the 
baron. 

"  Your  excellency,  as  soon  as  I  have  obtained  a  reply." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Stein,  with  a  gentle  smile;  "you  want  to 
prevent  me,  then,  from  writing  immediately,  that  I  may  re- 
tain you  for  some  time  as  a  welcome  guest?" 

"  No,  your  excellency,  let  me  entreat  you  to  give  me  at  once 
your  reply  to  the  solicitations  with  which  the  king  and  the 
queen — all  Prussia — nay,  all  Germany  turn  to  you,  and  im- 
plore you  to  lend  to  the  fatherland  your  strong  arm." 

"  Alas,  my  hand  is  so  feeble  that  it  can  scarcely  hold  a  pen !" 
said  Baron  von  Stein,  sighing.  "  Wilhelmina,  you  are  always 
my  kind  and  obliging  friend — will  you  now  also  lend  me  your 
hand,  and  be  my  secretary?" 

The  baroness  cast  a  mournful  and  loving  look  on  him.  "  I 
read  in  your  eyes,"  she  said,  sadly,  "that  you  have  made  up 
your  mind,  and  that,  even  though  I  implore  you  to  desist  for 
my  sake  and  that  of  our  children,  it  would  be  in  vain.  We 
shall  lose  you  again ;  your  house  and  my  heart  will  be  lonely, 
and  only  my  thoughts  will  travel  with  you!  But  it  hardly 
becomes  me  to  dissuade  you  from  your  purpose.  In  these 
days  of  general  distress  it  does  not  behoove  German  patriots  to 
confine  themselves  to  the  happiness  of  their  own  firesides,  and 
to  shut  their  ears  against  the  cries  of  the  fatherland.  Your 


JOHANNES  VON  MULLER.  280 

heart,  I  know,  belongs  to  me.  Your  mind  and  your  abilities 
belong  to  the  world.  Go,  then,  my  beloved  husband,  and  do 
your  duty;  I  will  fulfil  mine."  She  kissed  the  baron's  fore- 
head, and  then  stepped  to  the  table  at  the  window.  "  Your 
secretary  is  ready,"  she  said,  taking  the  pen;  "  tell  me  what  to 
write." 

Baron  von  Stein  raised  himself,  and  dictated  in  a  firm  voice 
as  follows: 

"  To  THE  KING'S  MAJESTY: — Yrour  gracious  orders  and  the 
offer  of  the  department  of  the  interior,  have  been  commu- 
nicated to  me  by  a  letter  from  Minister  von  Harclenberg,  dc 
dato  Memel,  July  10,  which  I  received  on  the  9th  of  August. 
I  accept  the  office  unconditionally,  and  leave  it  to  your  royal 
majesty  to  arrange  with  what  persons,  or  in  what  relations  to 
my  colleagues,  I  am  to  discharge  my  duties.  At  this  moment 
of  my  country's  distress  it  would  be  wrong  to  consult  my  own 
personal  grievances,  particularly  as  your  majesty  manifests  so 
exalted  a  constancy  in  adversity. 

"  I  should  have  set  out  immediately,  but  a  violent  tertian 
fever  is  confining  me  to  my  bed ;  as  soon  as  my  health  is  bet- 
ter, which  I  trust  will  be  the  case  in  ten  days  or  two  weeks,  I 
shall  hasten  to  your  majesty.  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  STEIN." 

Baron  von  Stein  kept  his  word.  Two  weeks  afterward, 
although  still  suffering  and  feeble,  he  entered  his  travelling- 
coach  to  repair  to  Memel,  and  to  hold  again  in  his  powerful 
hands  the  reins  of  the  Prussian  government. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

JOHANNES   VON    MULLER. 

THE  French  authorities  had  informed  the  municipality  of 
Berlin  that  peace  had  been  concluded  at  Tilsit,  between  the 
Emperor  of  the  French  and  the  King  of  Prussia.  They 
ordered  that  the  inhabitants  of  Berlin,  in  view  of  this  impor- 
tant event,  should  manifest  their  gratification  in  a  public 
manner.  German  singers  were  to  perform  a  Te  Dcum  at  the 
cathedral  in  honor  of  this  treaty,  and  at  night  the  people 
were  to  show,  by  a  general  illumination,  that  they  rejoiced  .it 
the  restoration  of  peace.  The  rulers  of  the  city  had  issued 
orders  to  this  effect,  and  the  citizens  were  obliged  to  obey, 


290  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

although  deeply  affected  by  the  humiliating  terms  of  the 
treaty,  which  the  Berlin  Telegraph  had  communicated  in  a 
jubilant  editorial.  The  capital  of  Prussia  had  to  celebrate  the 
disgrace  of  the  country  by  a  festive  illumination.  But  the 
public  officials  could  not  compel  the  people  to  give  their  hearts 
to  such  outward  rejoicings,  or  even  to  manifest  their  approval 
by  their  presence.  At  the  cathedral,  the  organist  with  his 
choristers  sang  the  ordered  Te  Deum  to  the  accompaniment  of 
kettle-drums,  but  the  church  was  empty.  Only  the  French 
officers  and  a  few  hired  renegades  witnessed  the  solemnity. 

At  night,  all  Berlin  was  in  a  blaze  of  colored  flame,  but  the 
streets  were  deserted.  No  glad  populace  were  thronging 
them — no  cheering  or  merry  laughter  was  to  be  heard ;  only 
here  and  there,  troops  of  French  soldiers  were  loitering  and 
singing  loudly;  or  a  crowd  of  idlers,  such  as  are  to  be  found 
wherever  their  curiosity  can  be  gratified,  and  who,  devoid  of 
honor  and  character,  are  the  same  in  all  cities.  The  better 
classes  remained  at  home,  and  disdained  to  cast  even  a  fugitive 
glance  on  the  dazzling  scene.  Nowhere  had  more  lights  been 
kindled  than  were  ordered  by  the  French  authorities.  At  one 
house,  however,  on  Behren  Street,  a  more  brilliant  illumi- 
nation was  to  be  seen ;  variegated  lamps  were  there  artistically 
grouped  around  two  busts  that  stood  in  strange  harmony,  side 
by  side,  and  excited  the  astonishment  of  all  passers-by. 
They  were  the  busts  of  Frederick  the  Great  and  Napoleon,  on 
whose  foreheads  beamed  the  same  radiant  light.  At  this 
house  lived  Johannes  von  Mliller,  the  historian  of  Switzerland, 
who  had  caused  this  exhibition  to  be  made,  and  who  surveyed 
his  work  with  smiling  face.  "  It  is  all  right,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "it  is  a  beautiful  spectacle — those  splendid  heads ;  and  it 
does  my  heart  good  that  I  have  succeeded  in  this  annoyance  to 
my  opponents.  They  shall  see  that  I  am  not  afraid  of  their  at- 
tacks, and  that  I  am  quietly  pursuing  my  career,  in  spite  of 
their  slanders.  They  call  me  a  renegade,  because  I  did  not 
escape  with  the  rest;  they  call  me  a  friend  of  the  French,  be- 
cause I  delivered  a  French  address  at  the  Academy  on  the 
birthday  of  Frederick  the  Great,  and  their  vulgar  minds  were 
displeased  because  in  that  speech  I  dared  to  compare  Napoleon 
with  Frederick.  It  is  also  distasteful  to  them  that  I  have 
renounced  the  title  of  secret  councillor  of  war,  and  call  my- 
self, briefly  and  simply,  Johannes  Miiller.  As  if  a  title  were 
not  a  superfluous  addition  to  Johannes  Miiller,  whom  Germany 
loved  before  he  bad  a  title,  and  whom  she  will  love  when  he 


JOHANNES  VON  MULLEB.  291 

has  one  no  longer.  Yes,  my  enemies  envy  my  glory,  they  call 
me  a  friend  of  the  French  simply  because  I  do  not  abuse 
them  in  their  absence,  and  in  their  presence  keep  quiet  and 
assume  a  stupid  indifference.  I  keep  my  hands  free;  I  write 
openly;  I  am  no  hidden  reviler  of  the  French,  but  a  public 
worshipper  of  all  that  is  sublime.  For  this  reason  I  have 
placed  here,  side  by  side,  the  busts  of  the  two  greatest  men  to 
whom  the  last  century  has  given  birth.  And  now,  great 
heroes!  shine  upon  me  in  the  radiance  which  a  man  whom  the 
people  have  honored  with  the  name  of  the  German  Tacitus, 
has  kindled  for  you!  Shed  your  lustre  on  the  city,  and  tell 
the  Germans  that  Johannes  von  Miiller  does  homage  to  genius, 
regardless  of  nationality  or  birth!  Watch  over  the  study  of 
the  historian,  and  while  he  works  guard  him  from  the  spirits 
of  evil!"  He  waved  his  hands  to  the  busts,  and  was  about  to 
sit  down  to  his  books  and  papers,  when  his  old  servant  entered 
to  inform  him  that  a  gentleman  wished  to  see  the  councillor 
of  war  immediately. 

"Michael  Fuchs,"  exclaimed  Miiller,  "  how  often  have  I 
told  you  not  to  address  me  by  that  absurd  title,  which,  I  bope, 
I  shall  soon  cast  off  as  the  ripe  chestnut  its  capsule.  Coun- 
cillor of  War !  For  my  part,  I  never  counselled  any  one  to 
commence  this  senseless  war,  and  now  that  there  is  peace,  I 
scarcely  regard  myself  as  a  Prussian  functionary;  and  yet  you 
continue  repeating  that  ridiculous  title!" 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  old  servant,  smiling,  "when  we  re- 
ceived that  title  four  years  ago,  we  were  overjoyed  and  felt 
very  proud.  It  is  true,  times  have  changed,  and  I  believe 
tbat  Clarke,  tbe  French  general,  with  whom  we  dined  again 
to-day,  does  not  like  the  title  much.  AVe  may,  therefore,  cast 
it  aside.  But,  sir,  while  we  are  quarrelling  here,  the  gentle- 
man outside  is  waiting  to  be  admitted." 

"  You  are  right,  Michael  Fuchs,"  said  Johannes  von  Miil- 
ler, in  a  gentle  tone,  as  if  he  desired  to  pacify  him;  "  let  the 
stranger  come  in." 

Old  Michael  nodded  pleasantly  to  his  master.  Opening  the 
door  and  stepping  out,  he  said  aloud:  "Come  in,  sir!  I 
have  announced  you,  and  M.  von  Miiller  awaits  you." 

"He  is  a  very  good,  faithful  old  fellow!"  murmured  Jo- 
hannes von  Miiller,  meeting  the  visitor  who  was  entering  the 
room. 

"Oh,  M.  von  Nostitz,"  exclaimed  Miiller,  joyously,  "you 
here  in  Berlin!  I  thought  you  were  on  your  estates." 


292  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"I  was  not  on  my  estates,  but  at  Memel  with  our  king," 
said  M.  von  Nostitz,  gravely.  "  Honored  with  some  commis- 
sions by  his  majesty,  I  have  arrived  here,  and  as  one  of  them 
concerns  you,  Mr.  Councillor,  I  have  hastened  to  call  upon 
you." 

"  The  king,  then,  has  received  my  letter  at  last  and  grants 
my  resignation?"  asked  Miiller,  quickly. 

"  The  king  has  received  your  letter,"  replied  M.  von 
Kostitz. 

"  And  my  resignation?  You  come  to  notify  me  that  it  has 
been  accepted?"  exclaimed  Miiller,  impatiently. 

"  Then  you  are  really  in  earnest  about  your  request?"  asked 
M.  von  Nostitz,  almost  sternly.  "  I  must  tell  you  that  none 
of  us  would  believe  it,  and  that  I  have  come  to  entreat  you  in 
the  name  of  the  king  and  the  queen — in  the  name  of  all  your 
friends,  who,  faithful  to  their  duty,  followed  the  royal  couple, 
to  change  your  mind  and  remain  with  us.  The  queen,  es- 
pecially, refuses  to  believe  that  Johannes  von  Miiller,  the 
great  historian,  who,  but  a  few  months  ago,  spoke  and  wrote 
for  Prussia  with  so  ardent  an  enthusiasm,  now  intends  to  leave 
us  voluntarily  and  to  escape  in  faithless  egotism  from  the 
calamities  that  have  overwhelmed  us  all.  I  am  to  beg  you  in 
the  name  of  the  queen  to  remain  with  us.  Her  majesty  can- 
not and  will  not  believe  that  you  are  in  earnest  about  this 
resolution  to  resign  your  office  and  leave  the  country.  She 
has  commissioned  me  to  beg  you  not  to  treat  the  state  at  this 
critical  juncture  in.  so  ignominious  a  manner  as  to  despair  of 
it,  and  assures  you  that  your  salary  will  always  be  punctually 
paid.  She  admonishes  you  through  me  to  think  of  your 
numerous  friends  here,  of  the  favorable  disposition  of  the 
Prussian  government  toward  you,  of  the  agreeable  life  you  are 
leading  in  Berlin,  and,  finally,  of  the  work  on  Frederick  the 
Great,  which  you  have  just  commenced,  and  to  remain  in  the 
Prussian  service." 

"  The  kindness  and  solicitude  manifested  by  her  majesty 
cannot  but  profoundly  touch  my  heart,"  exclaimed  Miiller,  in 
a  tremulous  voice,  "  and  I  wish  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart, 
which  is  truly  loyal  and  devoted  to  the  royal  house  of  Prussia, 
that  I  were  allowed  to  comply  with  these  gracious  words.  Her 
majesty  and  all  my  friends  know  the  high  opinion  and  san- 
guine hopes  which  I  entertain  with  regard  to  Prussia,  and 
that  I  feel  convinced  Providence  has  intrusted  to  this  state 
the  championship  of  truth,  liberty,  and  justice  in  Germany. 


JOHANNES  VON  MULLER.  293 

The  queen  is  right  also  in  saying  that  I  am  leading  quite  an 
agreeable  life  here;  and  that  Berlin,  if  it  should  become  a 
great  centre  of  education  for  the  north,  would  be  a  highly 
interesting  place.  It  is  very  true,  too,  that  I  have  warm 
friends  here;  that  I  am  living  at  a  fine  villa;  that  I  have 
no  indispensable  duties  to  perform  every  day,  and  that  my 
salary  has  hitherto  been  promptly  paid.  But  I  confess  I 
feel  attracted  toward  my  dear  friends  in  Southern 
Germany  and  Switzerland.  I  am  longing  for  peace  and 
quiet,  to  finish  my  history  of  the  land  of  Tell,  but  here 
I  do  not  see  any  prospect  of  it.  I  am  afraid,  on  the 
contrary,  that  the  ferment  and  commotion  of  affairs  will  last 
a  good  while  yet.  I  have  been  assured  that  important  reforms 
and  reductions  in  the  financial  administration  of  the  country 
are  in  contemplation,  and  that  men  of  high  rank,  who  have 
served  the  state  for  half  a  century,  and  are  by  no  means 
wealthy,  will  suffer;  how,  then,  could  I  hope  that  these  re- 
forms would  leave  me  untouched,  when  I  have  been  but  three 
years  in  the  Prussian  service?" 

"  That  is  to  say,  you  are  afraid  of  losing  your  salary,  not- 
withstanding the  queen's  assurances?"  asked  M.  von  Nostitz. 

"  That  is  to  say,  I  am  unfortunately  not  rich  enough  to  be 
contented  with  less;  I  have  nothing  but  my  salary,  and  have 
to  pay  my  debts  with  it.  When  Prussia  lost  two-thirds  of  her 
revenues,  I  offered  to  give  up  my  position  here,  which  yields 
rne  an  income  of  three  thousand  dollars.  I  believe  that  was 
honorable,  and  will  cast  no  reproach  on  my  character  and 
sentiments." 

"  That  is  to  say,  sir,  you  tendered  your  resignation  because 
the  King  of  "Wiirtemberg  offered  you  a  professorship  at  the 
University  of  Tubingen." 

"  But  I  should  never  have  accepted  it  had  I  not  deemed  it 
incumbent  upon  me  not  to  receive  any  money  at  the  hands  of 
Prussia  at  a  time  when  her  exchequer  is  hardly  able  to  pay  the 
salary  of  a  superfluous  savant.  Take  into  consideration  that, 
when  I  accept  this  offer,  which  would  first  necessitate  my  re- 
moval from  the  Prussian  service,  I  cannot  assuredly  be  charged 
with  having  done  so  from  motives  of  avarice.  Other  reasons 
impel  me  to  leave  a  pleasant  position  in  the  finest  city  of  Ger- 
many, and  move  to  a  small  university  town,  where  I  shall 
have  only  half  the  salary  I  am  receiving  here.  I  shall  live  in 
a  remote  corner  of  the  world,  but  be  enabled  to  lead  a  calm, 
undisturbed  life,  and  finish  the  works  I  have  commenced." 


294  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  All  my  remonstrances,  the  wishes  of  the  queen,  the  ex- 
hortations of  your  friends,  are  in  vain,  then?"  asked  M.  von 
Nostitz. 

"  I  requested  his  majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  in  an  auto- 
graph letter  to  accept  my  resignation,"  said  Miiller,  evasively; 
"  I  want,  above  all,  a  categorical  reply  whether  I  must  remain 
or  go." 

"You  may  go,  sir,"  exclaimed  Nostitz,  almost  contempt- 
uously. Taking  a  paper  from  his  memorandum-book,  he 
added,  "  here,  sir,  is  your  dismission.  I  was  ordered  to  de- 
liver it  into  your  hands  only  when  my  solicitations  and  the 
representations  made  in  the  name  of  the  queen  should  make  no 
impression  upon  you.  You  are  free;  the  king  dismisses  you 
from  the  service ;  Prussia  has  nothing  further  to  do  with  you. 
Seek  your  fortune  elsewhere ;  your  glory  you  will  leave  here. 
Farewell!"  Saluting  him  haughtily,  and  without  giving  him 
time  to  reply,  M.  von  Nostitz  turned  and  left  the  room. 

Johannes  von  Miiller  gazed,  after  him  with  a  long,  mournful 
look.  "  Another  man  who  will  charge  me  before  my  friends 
and  before  the  world  with  treachery,  perfidy,  and  meanness!" 
he  said,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  Oh,  stupidity  and  empty 
words!  They  want  to  accuse  me  of  treachery  because  it  suits 
them  best,  and  because  they  refuse  to  comprehend  that  a  poor 
savant  ought  at  least  to  be  protected  from  want  in  order  to  be 
able  to  live  for  science.  A  reduction  of  salaries  and  pensions 
is  impending;  I  owe  it  to  myself  and  to  the  works  I  have 
commenced,  to  provide  against  this  misfortune,  and  to  seek  a 
place  where  I  can  labor  without  being  disturbed,  and,  thank 
God!  I  have  found  it.  Now  I  may  go  to  Tubingen,  for  I  am 
free!"  He  took  the  paper  from  the  table,  and  hastily  break- 
ing the  seal  read  the  contents.  "Yes,"  he  repeated,  "I  am 
free!  I  can  go.  All  hail  Tubingen!  so  near  the  Alps,  so 
near  the  grand  old  forest !  In  thy  tranquillity  I  will  return 
to  my  early  enthusiasm  as  to  the  bride  of  my  youth !  My 
history  of  Switzerland  will  at  last  be  completed  and  bequeathed 
to  posterity !  Already  methinks  I  breathe  the  pure  air  of  the 
mountains ;  and  sunny  Italy,  while  I  cannot  return  to  her,  in- 
vites me  to  thee,  quiet  Tubingen!" 

Johannes  von  Miiller  did  not  perceive  that,  while  he  was 
speaking  to  himself,  the  door  behind  him  had  softly  opened, 
and  a  gentleman,  wrapped  in  a  cloak,  his  face  shaded  by  a 
broad-brimmed  hat,  had  entered  the  room  and  overheard  the 
last  words.  The  savant,  staring  at  the  muscular  form  of  this 


JOHANNES  VON  MULLER.  295 

stranger,  drew  back  in  surprise.  "What  does  this  mean?" 
he  muttered.  "  Where  is  Michael  Fuchs?" 

"  Michael  Fuchs  is  outside,  and  considers  it  very  natural 
that  an  old  friend  should  desire  to  surprise  his  master  rather 
than  be  solemnly  announced,"  said  the  stranger,  approaching 
and  taking  off  his  hat. 

"Frederick  von  Gentz!"  exclaimed  Miiller,  in  a  joyful 
voice,  yet  not  altogether  free  from  fear.  "  My  friend,  you 
dare  to  come  hither,  and  yet  you  must  know  that  the  emperor 
of  the  French  is  highly  exasperated  at  you ;  that  he  believes 
you  to  be  the  author  of  all  sorts  of  seditious  pamphlets,  and 
that  it  would  be  very  agreeable  to  him  to  have  you  arrested 
and  confined." 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,"  said  Gentz,  in  his  careless,  merry  way, 
"  Napoleon  Bonaparte  does  me  the  honor  of  being  afraid  of 
me  and  my  pen,  and  would  like  to  render  me  harmless,  as  he 
did  poor  Palm.  Once  I  was  in  imminent  danger  of  falling 
into  the  hands  of  his  police,  and  I  escaped  in  disguise,  but 
only  after  a  great  deal  of  trouble. " 

"  And  yet  you  dare  to  come  to  the  seat  of  the  French 
administration  in  Germany?"  exclaimed  Miiller.  "Oh,  my 
friend,  your  danger  nearly  deprives  me  of  the  delight  I  feel  in 
seeing  you  again,  and  I  have  to  mingle  my  loving  salutations 
with  warnings  and  presentiments!" 

"  You  are  right ;  I  was  rather  bold  in  entering  the  cobweb 
of  the  French  spiders,"  said  Gentz.  "Still,  it  is  not  so  dan- 
gerous as  you  believe,  and  you  may  be  perfectly  at  ease  so  far 
as  I  am  concerned.  I  am  here  with  a  charming  lady  friend, 
the  Princess  Bagration.  I  figured  on  her  passport  as  her  pri- 
vate secretary,  and  have  a  regular  Russian  one  of  my  own, 
purporting  to  be  issued  to  M.  do  Gentzowitch.  Besides,  no 
one  suspects  me  here;  we  have  just  arrived,  and  will  leave 
Berlin  to-morrow  before  daybreak  to  return  to  Dresden.  We 
are  now  at  peace  with  France,  and  the  authorities  here  will 
hardly  dare  to  lay  hands  on  a  subject  of  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  the  friend  and  admirer  of  the  Emperor  of  the  French. 
You  see,  therefore,  you  need  not  be  afraid  about  me,  and  I 
may  safely  chat  with  you  for  an  hour  here  in  your  study." 

"Then,  my  dear  friend,  let  me  welcome  you,"  exclaimed 
Miiller;  "let  us  enjoy  this  hour,  and  renew  the  pledge  of 
friendship."  Miiller  welcomed  Gentz  with  great  cordiality, 
but  the  latter  did  not  share  the  ardor  of  his  friend. 

"You  have  remained  faithful  to  our  reminiscences?"  Gentz 


296  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

asked,  as  Muller  led  him  to  the  sofa,  and  sat  by  his  side. 
"  You  have  not  forgotten  the  past,  and  your  heart  still  re- 
tains its  old  friendship?"  While  uttering  these  words,  he 
fixed  his  dark  eyes  on  the  face  of  Johannes  von  Miiller,  who 
seemed  not  to  be  able  to  bear  his  steadfast  gaze,  and  became 
embarrassed. 

"  Oh,  my  friend !"  he  exclaimed,  "  how  can  you  ask  whether 
I  remember  other  days?  My  heart  frequently  feels  exalted  at 
the  idea  of  friendship,  which  so  few  can  appreciate  at  its  true 
value.  What  attachment  was  that  of  Jonathan,  himself  a 
victorious  warrior,  for  Jesse's  noble  son !  How  great  Jonathan 
was,  who  knew  that  the  throne  of  Israel  would  pass  from  his 
house  to  David!  I  was  always  affected  by  David's  excla- 
mation at  Jonathan's  death.  I  thought  of  it  just  now.  And 
Scipio  had  a  disinterested  friendship  for  Lselius,  although  he 
was  aware  that  envious  men  desired  to  rob  him  of  the  glory  of 
having  conquered  Carthage,  and  ascribed  every  thing  to  the 
skilful  plans  of  Laelius.  Just  as  if,  when  I  narrate  the  heroic 
deeds  of  our  ancestors,  some  one  should  say,  'The  best  pas- 
sages were  written  by  his  friend!'  What  Scipio  felt  was  once 
illustrated,  at  a  private  dinner,  by  Ferdinand  of  Brunswick, 
the  hero  of  Crefeld  and  Minden.  He  also  had  a  friend,  and  to 
him  were  attributed  the  successes  of  the  prince.  Ferdinand 
himself  smilingly  said  to  me,  'Between  real  friends  it  is  a 
matter  of  indifference  to  whom  the  credit  is  given.'  Oh,  the 
spirits  of  David,  Jonathan,  and  Scipio,  must  have  rejoiced  at 
these  words  as  heartily  as  I  did.  So,  my  dear  Gentz,  you  ask 
me  whether  I  have  forgotten  our  friendship?" 

"  Words,  words!"  exclaimed  Gentz,  indignantly.  "  Instead 
of  deeds,  you  have  nothing  but  words.  I  will  speak  to  you 
plainly,  and  with  the  sincerity  of  a  true  German.  That  is 
what  I  have  come  for." 

"  Like  a  true  German?"  repeated  Miiller.  "  Are  there  still 
any  true  Germans?  Are  they  not  by  this  time  extinct,  leav- 
ing behind  only  slaves  and  renegades?  This  is  not  the  age 
for  true  Germans,  and  if  any  really  exist,  they  ought  to  hide 
themselves  and  be  silent." 

"  And  you  can  say  that — you  who  once  called  so  enthusi- 
astically for  deeds?"  exclaimed  Gentz,  indignantly.  "  Listen 
to  me,  Johannes  von  Miiller!  I  tell  you  once  more,  it  is  for 
your  sake  that  I  have  come.  I  wanted  to  appear  before  you 
either  as  your  guilty  conscience  or  as  your  friend,  as  your 
judge  or  as  your  ally.  I  refused  to  believe  in  all  that  was 


JOHANNES  VON   MULLER.  29? 

told  me  about  you.  I  would  trust  only  my  own  ears,  my  own 
eyes.  Johannes  von  Miiller,  I  have  come  to  ask  you :  Do 
you  still  remember  the  oath  we  took  in  so  solemn  a  manner  at 
Frankfort?" 

"I  do,"  said  Johannes  von  Miiller,  timidly.  "Carried 
away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  our  hopes,  we  covenanted  for  the 
welfare  of  Germany,  and  especially  for  her  deliverance  from 
foreign  tyranny." 

"  We  swore  to  unite  in  active  love  for  Germany,  and  in 
active  hatred  against  France,"  exclaimed  Gentz,  solemnly. 
"  I  have  fulfilled  my  oath ;  I  have  toiled  incessantly  for  the 
deliverance  of  Germany.  The  persecutions  I  have  suffered  at 
the  hands  of  the  French,  and  Napoleon's  wrath,  speak  for 
me!  I  have  well  improved  my  time.  But  what  have  you 
done?  Where  are  the  friends  enlisted  for  our  covenant? 
Where  are  the  allies  gathered  around  you  to  assist  against 
France?  The  time  for  action  is  coming,  and  we  must  be 
ready  to  fight  the  battle  and  expel  the  tyrant.  Johannes  von 
Miiller,  where  are  the  troops  you  have  enlisted — the  men  you 
have  gained  over  to  our  cause?" 

"  I  have  enlisted  no  troops — prepared  no  battles,  and  con- 
centrated no  corps,"  said  Miiller,  sighing.  "On  the  battle- 
field of  Jena  lie  buried  not  only  our  soldiers,  but  our  hopes. 
The  disaster  is  boundless;  name,  rights,  existence — all  gone! 
A  new  order  of  things  is  at  hand.  The  great  period  of  many 
monarchies,  since  the  downfall  of  the  Roman  empire,  is 
closed.  No  other  path  to  prosperity  and  glory  remains  to  us 
than  that  of  the  arts  of  "peace;  we  cannot  succeed  by  war." 

"  It  is  true,  then,"  exclaimed  Gentz,  mournfully,  "  that  you 
are  a  traitor  and  a  renegade,  and  have  not  been  slandered! 
You  have  not  only  lost  your  faith,  but  the  consciousness  of 
your  perfidy!  Oh,  I  refused  to  believe  it;  I  thought  it  was 
impossible.  I  did  have  confidence  in  you.  It  was  well  known 
to  mo  that  you  had  long  since  lost  your  courage  and  inclina- 
tion to  struggle  for  our  cause.  I  was  also  aware  that,  even 
before  the  commencement  of  the  war  between  Prussia  and 
France,  your  irresolution  and  timidity  had  increased.  I  was 
not  greatly  surprised,  therefore,  that  you  remained  at  Berlin 
when  all  faithful  men  left  the  capital,  or,  as  some  assert,  you 
returned  hither  agreeably  to  an  invitation  from  the  French. 
After  this,  I  was  no  longer  astonished  at  seeing  you  repudiate 
your  principles,  your  glory,  your  friends,  the  cause  of  Ger- 
many, every  thing  great  and  good  that  you  had  advocated  for 


298  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

years,  and  truckle  in  the  most  cowardly  manner  to  the  con- 
queror, carry  on  disgraceful  secret  negotiations  with  him,  and 
issue  equivocal  declarations  and  confessions;  but  that  you 
should  betray  all  that  ought  to  be  dear  to  you — that  you 
should  publicly  renounce  your  principles — of  such  treachery  I 
never  deemed  you  capable!" 

"And  where  did  I  commit  any  such  treachery?"  asked 
Miiller,  reproachfully ;  "  where  did  I  secretly  or  publicly  re- 
nounce all  that  had  hitherto  been  dear  to  me?  Tell  me, 
accuse  me!  I  will  justify  myself!  This  will  show  you  how 
ardently  I  love  you,  for  I  will  accept  you  as  a  judge  of  my 
actions,  and  allow  you  to  acquit  me  or  to  find  me  guilty." 

"Be  it  so!"  exclaimed  Gentz.  "I  do  not  stand  before  you 
as  an  individual;  but  as  the  voice  of  Germany — of  posterity, 
that  will  judge  and  condemn  you  if  you  are  unable  to  justify 
yourself.  Listen  to  the  charges,  and  reply  to  them !  Why 
did  you  remain  in  Berlin  when  the  court  fled ;  when  all  those 
who  were  loyal  to  the  king  and  his  cause  left  the  capital,  be- 
cause they  refused  to  bow  their  heads  to  the  French  yoke?" 

"  I  remained  because  I  did  not  see  any  reason  for  fleeing. 
I  am  no  prominent  politician ;  politics,  on  the  contrary,  are 
only  a  matter  of  secondary  importance  to  me.  My  principal 
sphere  is  science,  and  every  thing  connected  with  it.  Now  I 
was  better  able  to  serve  it  here  than  elsewhere.  I  had  my 
books  here,  and  a  large  number  was  on  the  way  to  me ;  ac- 
cordingly, I  had  to  wait  for  them ;  besides  I  had  commenced 
studying  the  royal  archives  of  Berlin  to  obtain  material  for 
my  history  of  Frederick  II.  These  "are  the  reasons  why  I  re- 
mained, and  I  confess  to  you  that  I  had  no  cause  to  repent 
of  it.  No  one  injured  me,  or  asked  any  thing  dishonorable  of 
me;  no  one  insisted  on  my  doing  any  thing  incompatible 
with  my  duty  and  loyalty;  on  the  contrary,  all  treated  me 
politely.  They  seemed  to  regard  me  as  one  of  the  ancients, 
living  only  in  and  for  posterity.  Never  before  was  the  dignity 
of  historical  science  honored  in  a  more  delicate  manner  than 
by  the  treatment  I  received  at  the  hands  of  the  French. 
Thus,  amid  the  crash  of  falling  thrones,  I  have  quietly  con- 
tinued at  my  history  of  Switzerland,  written  articles  for  sev- 
eral reviews,  and  made  extracts  from  many  of  the  ancient 
classics,  from  the  whole  Muratorian  Thesaurus,  and  from 
other  printed  and  manuscript  volumes.  This,  my  friend,  is 
a  brief  sketch  of  the  quiet  and  retired  life  I  have  led  since 
the  disastrous  day  of  Jena." 


JOHANNES  VON  MUTJ.EK.  2U9 

"  You  lorgot  to  mention  several  essential  points  in  your 
sketch,"  said  Gentz,  sternly.  "  You  did  not  allude  to  your 
friendly  intercourse  with  Napoleon's  praetorians;  you  forgot 
even  to  refer  to  the  remarkable  visit  you  paid  to  the  Emperor 
of  the  French.  IIo\v  could  you,  who  so  recently  in  puhlic 
addresses  had  called  upon  every  one  to  rise  against  the  usurper 
— how  could  you  dare  to  enter  the  lion's  lair  without  fearing 
lest  he  strike  you  dead  by  a  single  blow?  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte might  invite  me  twenty  times  in  the  most  flattering 
manner,  I  should  still  take  care  to  refuse,  for  I  feel  convinced 
that  I  should  never  return.  The  bullets  that  struck  Palm's 
breast  would  be  remoulded  for  me.  How  did  it  come  that 
you  did  not  feel  any  such  apprehensions?  How  could  you 
hope  that  the  French  would  forgive  your  former  Prussian 
patriotism,  unless  you  had  made  concessions  to  them — unless 
you  had  proved  recreant  to  the  cause  to  which  you  had 
hitherto  adhered?" 

"I  made  no  concessions.  They  were  unnecessary;  no  one 
asked  me  to  make  them,"  said  Johannes  von  M tiller,  gently. 
"  I  remained  in  Berlin,  because  I  was  unable  to  Hce  with  my 
whole  library,  and  because  I  was  no  more  bribed  by  France 
than  by  England,  or  any  other  power." 

"Ah,  I  understand  you;  you  will  now  turn  the  table,  and 
accuse  me  instead  of  justifying  yourself.  It  is  a  very  com- 
mon thing  nowadays  to  tell  marvellous  stories  about  the 
large  sums  with  which  England  has  bribed  me  to  speak  and 
write  against  the  usurper,  who  tramples  upon  our  freedom 
and  nationality.  You  can  scarcely  open  a  newspaper  without 
finding  in  it,  side  by  side  with  eulogies  of  the  great  German 
historian,  and  of  the  gratifying  manner  in  which  '.Napoleon, 
the  hero,  whose  eagle-eye  discerns  every  thing,  knew  how  to 
appreciate  his  merits,'  systematic  attacks  against  me,  and 
allusions  to  the  rumor  that  I  had  been  bribed  by  England." 

''  1  did  not  intend  accusing  you,"  said  M  tiller.  "  I  am  only 
justifying  myself;  first,  as  to  my  remaining  here,  and, 
secondly,  as  to  the  visit  I  paid  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  He 
sent  for  me,  and,  rest  assured,  I  did  nothing  whatever  to 
bring  about  this  invitation.  Ought  I  to  have  refused?  He 
did  not  say  a  word  about  the  king,  the  queen,  myself,  my 
wishes  or  plans.  Dear  friend,  will  you  permit  me  to  relate  to 
you  the  particulars  of  my  interview  with  Napoleon?  Will 
you  listen  to  me  quietly,  so  as  to  judge  for  yourself  whether 
that  visit,  which  has  been  censured  so  severely,  was  really  so 


300  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

great  a  crime,  so  terrible  a  perfidy  against  Germany,  as  my 
enemies  have  seen  fit  to  pretend?" 

"  Speak !  I  told  you  already  that  I  come  to  accuse  you  in 
the  name  of  Germany  and  of  posterity,  and  to  listen  to  your 
justification." 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

THE   CALL. 

JOHANNES  VON  MULLER  shook  his  head,  and  as  he  spoke 
his  voice  grew  louder  and  his  face  kindled  with  enthusiasm. 
"  M.  Alexander  von  Humboldt  had  made  me  acquainted  with 
the  French  minister  of  state,  M.  Maret,  who  frequently  in- 
vited me,  with  Humboldt  and  some  other  savants,  to  dine  with 
him,  and  seemed  to  like  my  conversation.  One  morning  he 
called  to  inform  me  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  desired  to  re- 
ceive me  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  At  the  hour 
appointed  I  rode  to  Maret,  and  was  introduced  to  Napoleon, 
who  was  seated  by  himself  on  a  sofa;  several  persons,  un- 
known to  me,  stood  in  a  remote  corner  of  the  room.  The 
emperor  commenced  by  referring  to  the  history  of  Switzer- 
land, and  told  me  I  ought  to  finish  it,  because  the  more  re- 
cent period  of  the  history  of  that  country  was  by  no  means 
devoid  of  interest.  From  Swiss  history  we  passed  to  the  his- 
tory and  constitution  of  ancient  Greece,  to  the  theory  of 
constitutions,  to  the  striking  difference  of  those  of  the  Asiatic 
nations,  and  the  causes  of  this  difference,  to  be  found  in  the 
climate  and  in  polygamy,  to  the  widely  different  characters  of 
the  Arabs  (whom  the  emperor  extolled  very  highly),  and  the 
Tartars,  which  led  us  to  the  invasions  always  threatening  civ- 
ilization from  that  side,  and  the  necessity  of  raising  a  bulwark 
against  them.  We  then  spoke  of  the  real  value  of  European 
culture,  and  stated  that  there  never  had  been  greater  freedom, 
security  of  property,  humanity,  and  better  times  in  general, 
than  since  the  fifteenth  century;  further,  that  there  was  a 
mysterious  concatenation  in  all  terrestrial  events,  that  every 
thing  was  directed  by  the  inscrutable  dispensations  of  an 
invisible  hand,  and  that  the  emperor  himself  had  become 
great  by  the  very  actions  of  his  enemies.  We  referred  to  the 
great  confederation  of  nations,  an  idea  that  had  already  been 
entertained  by  Henry  IV. ;  to  the  sources  and  necessity  of 


THE  CALL.  301 

religion ;  we  said  that  man  was,  perhaps,  not  able  to  bear  the 
whole  dazzling  truth,  and  required  to  be  kept  in  bounds;  but 
that,  nevertheless,  it  was  possible  to  bring  about  a  happy 
order  of  things  if  the  numerous  wars  ceased  that  had  been 
produced  by  constitutions  too  intricate,  such  as  that  of  Ger- 
many, and  by  the  intolerable  burdens  imposed  on  nations  by 
large  standing  armies.  A  great  many  other  things  were  said, 
and,  in  fact,  almost  all  countries  and  nations  were  alluded  to. 
The  emperor  spoke  at  first  in  his  ordinary  tone,  but  in  a  lower 
voice  as  the  conversation  became  more  interesting,  so  that  I 
had  to  bend  down,  and  no  one  else  could  have  understood 
what  he  said.  I  myself  shall  never  repeat  several  statements 
he  made  on  this  occasion.  I  contradicted  him  repeatedly, 
and  he  entered  into  a  discussion  with  me. 

"If  I  am  to  speak  impartially,  I  must  say  that  Napoleon's 
knowledge,  the  correctness  of  his  observations,  his  under- 
standing, the  grandeur  of  his  views,  filled  ine  with  admi- 
ration, while  the  amiable  manner  in  which  he  spoke  to  me 
could  not  but  enlist  my  affection.  A  few  marshals  and  the 
Prince  de  Benevento  in  the  mean  time  entered  the  room,  but 
he  did  not  interrupt  himself.  After  I  had  conversed  with 
him  about  an  hour  and  a  half,  he  ordered  the  concert  to  com- 
mence, and  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  a  mere  accident  or 
whether  he  did  so  to  oblige  me,  but  he  asked  the  musicians  to 
play  Swiss  airs,  and  among  them  the  Ranz  dcs  V aches.  lie 
then  bowed  to  me  kindly,  and  left  the  room.  I  must  confess 
I  was  fascinated.  Since  my  conference  with  Frederick  11., 
twenty-four  years  ago,  I  never  had  a  more  interesting  inter- 
view, at  least  none  with  a  prince;  if  my  memory  does  not 
deceive  me,  the  emperor's  conversation  was  even  more  solid 
and  comprehensive  than  that  of  Frederick,  who  did  not  con- 
ceal his  admiration  for  the  views  of  Voltaire.  For  the  rest, 
Napoleon's  tone  is  firm  and  vigorous,  but  there  is  as  winning 
an  expression  about  his  mouth  as  there  was  about  that  of 
Frederick.  It  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  days  of  my 
life.  Napoleon  conquered  me,  too,  by  his  genius  and  un- 
affected kindness.  This,  my  friend,"  said  Mtiller,  "is  a 
faithful  account  of  what  occurred  during  my  visit  to  him,  and 
how  I  was  charmed  by  his  genius." 

"  Woe  to  you  that  he  succeeded!"  exclaimed  Gentz — "  that 
he  confused  your  understanding  and  infatuated  your  judg- 
ment. Are  you,  then,  really  in  earnest  about  this  admiration 
and  fulsome  praise  of  a  man  whom  you  abhorred  formerly — to 


302  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

whom  at  Frankfort  you  vowed  everlasting  hatred — whom,  in 
your  wrath,  you  called  the  scourge  that  was  torturing  us, 
that  we  might  be  aroused  from  our  stupor?  Do  you  now 
seriously  praise  him  as  the  great  genius  to  whom  we  ought  to 
do  homage  and  bow  as  humble  worshippers?" 

"  Yes,  I  say  that  Providence  has  intrusted  to  him  the  most 
sublime  mission,"  exclaimed  Miiller.  "I  feel  convinced  that 
God  has  given  him  the  empire  of  the  world.  Never  before 
has  this  been  more  apparent  than  in  the  late  war,  in  which  he 
obtained  victories  with  which  only  those  of  Arbela  and  Zama 
can  be  compared.  Inasmuch  as  the  old  and  rusty  order  of 
things  was  doomed  to  disappear,  it  was  fortunate  that  these 
victories  were  vouchsafed  to  Napoleon  and  to  a  nation  that  is 
distinguished  for  its  culture,  and  appreciates  the  toils  of 
learned  men  far  more  readily  than  other  nations.  Just  as  lit- 
tle as  Cicero,  Livy,  and  Horace,  concealed  from  the  great 
Caesar,  or  from  Augustus,  that  they  had  formerly  been  op- 
posed to  him,  have  I  concealed  that  I  had  belonged  to  a  differ- 
ent party,  or  rather  entertained  different  views,  which,  the 
issues  being  decided,  I  willingly  give  up,  ready,  if  not  to  coop- 
erate in,  at  least  to  become  the  impartial  historian  of  the 
reorganization  of  the  world.  Now,  it  is  an  inexpressibly 
edifying  occupation  to  raise  our  eyes  from  the  ruins  of  Europe 
to  the  whole  connection  of  history — to  seek  for  the  causes  of 
events,  and  boldly  to  remove  a  little  the  veil  that  covers  the 
probable  future.  These  ideas  seem  to  me  so  grand  and  grat- 
ifying that  they  fill  my  soul,  absorbing  all  my  reflections. 
Thus  I  try  to  prepare  as  well  as  I  can  for  what  is  to  come. 
History  teaches  me  that,  when  the  time  for  a  great  change 
arrives,  resistance  against  it  is  utterly  useless.  True  wisdom 
consists  in  a  correct  perception  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  and 
true  virtue  is  not  transformed  into  vice  when  this  or  that 
phase  passes  away.  The  ruler  of  the  world  will  certainly 
never  overlook  him  who  demonstrates  his  manhood,  and 
whose  skill  and  courage  entitle  him  to  human  respect." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Gentz,  laughing  scornfully,  "you  are  in- 
deed a  true  man !  When  the  country  was  overwhelmed  with 
calamities — when  your  friends,  whom  your  clarion-notes  once 
led  to  the  charge — when  the  royal  couple  that  had  over- 
whelmed you  with  manifestations  of  kindness  and  esteem,  and 
all  the  loyal  and  faithful  fled,  you  acted  like  a  true  man! 
You  only  thought  of  yourself  and  your  personal  interests,  and 
forgot  what  you  once  swore  to  me,  and  in  reference  to  which 


THE  CALL. 

I  stand  before  you  at  this  hour.  Johannes  von  Muller,  I  re- 
nounce you  f orevermore !  Germany  will  accept  no  further 
services  at  your  hands,  even  though  you  should  desire  to 
espouse  her  cause  again,  for  no  one  reposes  confidence  in 
the  faithless.  Posterity  will  honor  Johannes  von  Muller, 
the  historian;  but  they  will  despise  Johannes  von  Muller,  the 
man.  I  know  you  now  thoroughly.  Your  whole  character  is  a 
strange  error  nature  committed  in  uniting  intellect  of  extraor- 
dinary strength  with  one  of  the  feeblest  souls.  The  many 
sublime  thoughts,  the  ingenious  and  often  profound  com- 
binations which  for  many  years  have  characterized  your  pen, 
were  apparently  intended  only  for  others;  you  yourself  derive 
no  benefit  from  them.  You  are,  and  will  ever  be,  the  play- 
thing of  every  accidental  and  momentary  impression.  Always 
ready  to  acknowledge  and  embrace  whatever  came  near  you, 
you  were  never  able  to  feel  either  enduring  hatred  or  attach- 
ment. Your  life  is  a  mere  capitulation.  If  the  Evil  One 
himself  should  appear  on  earth  in  visible  form,  I  could  show 
him  the  way  by  which  he  could  league  with  you  within 
twenty-four  hours.  The  true  source  of  your  inconsistency  is 
the  fact  that,  separated  from  all  good  and  true  men,  and  sur- 
rounded by  knaves  and  fools,  you  see  and  hear  nothing  but 
what  is  ignoble  and  false.  If  you  could  have  made  up  your 
mind  to  leave  Berlin,  you  would  probably  have  been  saved. 
Your  real  guilt  consists  in  your  staving  here;  the  remainder 
of  your  faults  were  only  consequences  of  it.  Whether  this 
judgment  is  more  lenient  or  rigorous,  more  mortifying  or 
honorable,  than  that  which  you  may  expect  at  the  hands  of 
the  public,  I  will  not  decide.  As  for  myself,  it  is  con- 
clusive." 

"  But  it  is  not  for  me,"  exclaimed  Muller,  with  grave  dig- 
nity. "I  forgive  you  the  insults  you  have  thrown  into  my 
face;  and,  instead  of  turning  away  from  you  in  silence,  and 
in  the  consciousness  of  right,  I  will  address  you  a  last  word  of 
justification;  for  you  know  full  well  that  I  have  loved  you, 
and  my  heart  renounces  reluctantly  its  dream  of  friendship. 
You  have  preferred  serious  charges  against  me;  you  have 
threatened  me  with  the  judgment  of  posterity;  but  posterity 
will  have  better  ideas  of  justice  than  you,  whose  eyes  are 
blinded  by  partisan  feelings  and  political  hatred.  It  is  true, 
I  have  said  on  every  page  of  my  works  that  men  ought  not  to 
shrink  from  sacrificing  their  lives  for  their  country,  for  truth, 
and  justice;  but  I  am  unconscious  of  having  done  any  thing 


304  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

to  the  contrary,  nor  have  I  ever  been  exposed  to  such  an 
alternative.  Never  have  I  changed  my  principles.  What  I 
desired  when  I  entered  into  the  covenant  with  you  at  Frank- 
fort, was  to  bring  about  a  firm  alliance  between  Austria  and 
Prussia,  and  thereby  to  transform  Germany  into  a  strong 
power,  interposing  the  two  great  empires.  For  that  purpose 
I  have  striven,  acted,  spoken,  and  written.  My  utterances 
were  not  listened  to,  and  the  year  1805  destroyed  all  my 
hopes.  The  times  changed,  but  my  principles  did  not,  based 
as  they  are  on  the  great  truth  of  all  possible  liberty,  dignity, 
and  happiness  for  the  nations,  according  to  their  different  cir- 
cumstances and  peculiarities.  Never,  however,  did  I  permit 
personal  considerations  to  influence  me ;  I  wrote  for  Prussia 
in  the  good  cause  of  the  princes'  league,  and  against  Prussia 
in  the  bad  one  of  the  separate  peace.  It  is  true,  I  was  not 
quiet  with  regard  to  the  blunders  committed :  I  did  not  en- 
courage the  mad  expectations  of  the  war-party,  and  wa3 
opposed  to  misleading  the  public  by  false  rumors  and  inflam- 
matory appeals.  I  desired  the  truth,  and  proclaimed  it ;  but 
the  so-called  German  patriots  think  I  ought  to  have  kept 
silence.  When  the  Jews  were  warned  with  tearful  eyes  to 
submit  to  the  conqueror,  into  whose  hands  Providence  had  de- 
livered Asia  for  a  certain  time,  they  deemed  it  patriotic  to 
persecute  the  prophet,  but  Jerusalem  was  burned.  Why  did 
he  not  keep  silence?  Because  God  commanded  him  to  speak. 
That  is  the  servility,  the  faithlessness,  and  treachery  with 
which  I  am  now  reproached.  Hypocrites!  Every  crime  has 
its  motive.  Did  I  intend  to  increase  my  glory?  Certainly 
not.  It  was  self-interest,  then?  Yes! — to  give  up  the  beau- 
tiful city  of  Berlin,  the  title  of  councillor  of  war,  and  a  salary 
of  three  thousand  dollars,  doubtless  to  go  to  Paris  and  receive 
a  large  pension  from  the  French  government!  No!  but  to 
accept  a  professorship  of  two  thousand  florins  in  the  little 
town  of  Tubingen,  and  to  have  the  honor  to  work  hard  to  pay 
my  debts!  That  is  the  brilliant  position  which  is  asserted  to 
have  induced  me  to  sacrifice  my  nation,  my  liberty,  and  my 
honor.  I  am  tired  of  sacrificing  myself,  of  toiling  incessantly, 
and  of  being  exposed  to  danger,  in  an  ungrateful  age  and  for 
a  degenerate  nation,  cowardly  in  deed,  slanderous  in  word, 
and  senseless  in  hope.  A  supreme  intelligence  is  ruling  over 
us ;  one  era  is  past ;  another  is  approaching,  and  of  what  char- 
acter it  will  be,  depends  on  our  own  reformation!  It  was 
Providence  that  sent  Napoleon  as  the  instrument  of  the  iran 


THE  CALL.  305 

eition.  I  acquiesce  in  the  dispensation  of  God,  who,  during 
the  latter  centuries,  has  so  ordered  events  as  to  prevent  man- 
kind from  receding  from  the  degree  of  civilization  they  had 
attained.  The  people  must  take  heart,  concentrate  their 
moral  and  mental  strength,  and  devote  themselves  to  the 
culture  of  the  peaceful  and  the  good.  That  is  my  last  con- 
fession. If  you  understand  me,  and  it  satisfies  you,  give  me 
your  hand,  and  we  are  reconciled ;  if  you  wish  to  continue  to 
misrepresent  me  and  condemn  my  course,  farewell!  for,  in 
that  case,  our  paths  diverge  forever." 

"Let  us,  then,  pursue  different  paths!"  exclaimed  Gentz, 
contemptuously,  taking  his  hat  and  preparing  to  leave.  "  I 
go,  but  not  without  painful  emotion.  Let  your  heart,  in 
memory  of  the  past,  tell  you  whether  I  have  judged  correctly. 
I  feel  what  it  is  to  lose  you!  As  a  friend  of  patriotism,  I  pass 
an  inexorable  sentence  on  you ;  as  a  man,  as  your  former 
friend,  I  feel  nothing  but  compassion — to  hate  you  is  beyond 
my  power.  If  God  fulfil  our  wishes,  and  crown  my  efforts 
and  those  of  my  companions,  then  there  will  be  but  one 
punishment  for  you,  and  it  will  be  terrible.  Law  and  order 
will  return,  the  robber  and  the  usurper  be  humbled,  and  Ger- 
many, flourishing  under  the  rule  of  wise  sovereigns,  will  again 
be  free;  but  you  will  have  to  stand  aloof,  and  never  be  per- 
mitted to  join  in  the  sacred  hymns  of  our  patriots!  Fare- 
well!" lie  turned  and  hastily  left  the  room. 

Johannes  von  Miiller  gazed,after  him  mournfully.  "  I  have 
lost  another  friend!  Ah,  I  wish  I  could  escape  into  the  grave 
from  all  this  turmoil — these  painful  misunderstandings  and 
broken  friendships."  Standing  silent,  he  placed  his  hand 
over  his  tearful  eyes.  "Xo,"  he  said;  "  I  will  not  despair! 
The  hand  of  Providence  is  everywhere;  it  will  support  and 
protect  me.  I  have  lost  a  friend;  very  well,  I  will  return  to 
my  immortal  friends — to  the  ancients!  They  never  cease  to 
instruct  and  strengthen  me  by  their  exalted  sentiments."  He 
stepped  to  his  desk,  and,  sitting  down,  seized  one  of  the  large 
open  volumes.  "Come  and  console  me,  Juvenal,"  lie  ex- 
claimed, enthusiastically.  "  You  are  to  me  rather  a  new 
friend,  whom  I  have  learned  but  lately  to  understand  thor- 
oughly. 0  Juvenal!  let  the  fire  burning  in  your  works  warm 
my  heart,  and  invigorate  me  by  your  words,  which  are  among 
the  priceless  treasures  of  mankind  !"  He  bent  over  the  book 
and  commenced  reading.  His  face,  which,  at  first,  had  been 
melancholy,  soon  assumed  a  serene  and  almost  good-humored 


306  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

expression,  and,  forgetful  of  the  present,  he  became  entirely 
absorbed  in  reading  the  Eoman  author. 

All  was  silent  in  his  room.  The  busts  of  Napoleon  and 
Frederick  looked  down  on  the  illuminated  but  deserted  street, 
as  if  they  were  guarding  the  great  historian  from  any  evil 
thoughts  or  cowardly  despondency  that  perchance  might  dis- 
turb his  thoughts.  Suddenly  a  horseman  galloped  up,  and  a 
carriage  approached  the  house.  Two  gentlemen  alighted  and 
entered.  Johannes  von  Miiller  saw  and  heard  nothing.  He 
read  and  copied  such  passages  from  old  Juvenal  as  pleased 
him  best. 

Some  one  rapped  violently  at  the  door,  and  a  deep  voice 
called  out  in  French,  "May  I  enter?" 

"General  Clarke!"  exclaimed  Johannes  von  Miiller,  almost 
in  dismay,  starting  up  and  rushing  toward  the  door;  but,  be- 
fore he  reached  it,  the  French  governor  of  Berlin,  General 
Clarke,  appeared,  followed  by  a  young  orderly,  whose  dusty 
uniform  told  that  he  had  just  left  the  highway  and  the  saddle. 

"M.  Johannes  von  Miiller,"  exclaimed  Clarke,  cordially 
nodding,  and  offering  his  hand  to  the  savant.  "  See  what  I 
bring  you !" 

"Well,"  asked  Miiller,  in  surprise,  "what  does  your  excel- 
lency bring?" 

"  I  bring  you  a  courier  whom  the  minister  of  state,  M. 
Maret,  by  order  of  the  emperor  has  sent  you,  and  who  has 
been  hunting  for  you  all  over  Germany.  At  Frankfort  he 
was  informed  you  were  already  at  Tubingen,  and  on  arriving 
there  he  learned  that  you  had  not  yet  left  Berlin,  although 
you  had  been  expected  for  six  months." 

"  I  could  not  go,"  said  Miiller;  "  I  had  not  yet  received  my 
dismissal;  it  arrived  only  to-day." 

"It  is  well  it  came  to-day,"  exclaimed  Clarke;  "  it  has  ar- 
rived just  in  time.  My  friend,"  he  added,  turning  to  the 
courier,  "this  is  M.  von  Miiller;  deliver  the  letter  into  his 
hands." 

The  courier  produced  a  large  letter  to  which  an  official  seal 
was  attached.  "When  can  you  let  me  have  the  reply?"  he 
asked.  "  I  have  been  instructed  to  return  to  Paris  without 
delay." 

"The  reply?"  said  Miiller.  " But  I  do  not  yet  know  the 
question?" 

"My  learned  friend,"  exclaimed  Clarke,  laughing,  " this 
game  of  questions  and  answers  with  Napoleon  resembles  a 


THE  CALL.  307 

thunderstorm;  almost  as  soon  as  the  flash  is  seen,  the  thunder 
is  heard.  There  must  be  no  hesitation — no  delay.  It  i.s  the 
emperor  that  asks.  Permit  the  courier,  in  the  mean  time,  to 
retire  into  the  anteroom.  On  crossing  it,  I  noticed  a  sofa. 
You  will  permit  him  to  take  a  little  rest  until  your  reply  is 
ready.  I  have  also  commissioned  your  servant  to  fetch  a  glass 
of  wine  and  some  food.  You  must  take  into  consideration 
that  the  poor  fellow  has  been  on  horseback,  day  and  night, 
and  has  but  just  left  the  saddle." 

"Go,  sir,"  exclaimed  Miiller,  in  an  impressive  voice,  "take 
a  little  rest  and  some  food.  I  am  sorry  that  I  have  caused 
you  so  much  trouble." 

"And  now,  sir,"  said  Clarke,  when  the  courier  had  left  the 
room,  "read  the  letter  from  Minister  Maret." 

Johannes  von  Miiller  broke  the  seal  and  opened  the  paper 
with  a  trembling  hand.  While  he  was  reading,  a  blush  suf- 
fused his  face,  and  an  exclamation  of  joyful  surprise  burst 
from  his  lips.  "This  letter  contains  extraordinary  news!  I 
am  to  go  to  Paris!  I  am  to  receive  an  important  office  that 
I  have  never  solicited!" 

"  Yes,  sir,  you  are  to  go  to  Paris,  and,  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible," said  Clarke,  smiling.  "  I  also  received  a  letter  from 
the  minister  by  this  courier,  and  his  excellency  requests  me 
to  have  you  set  out  without  delay.  It  is  the  emperor's  order, 
sir,  and  must  be  complied  with.  Ilis  majesty  himself  has 
appointed  you  to  the  exalted  position  which  you  are  to  fill  at 
the  court  of  his  brother,  the  King  of  Westphalia.  Jerome's 
kingdom  sprang  from  the  soil  of  Germany  in  a  night;  hence 
it  is  right  that  you  should  be  his  minister  of  public  instruc- 
tion. That  is  the  office  to  be  intrusted  to  you,  sir.  The 
emperor  has  so  ordered  it.  lie  promised  his  brother  a  min- 
ister of  the  German  nation." 

"  I,  a  poor  book-worm,  who  have  had  more  intercourse 
with  the  dead  than  the  living — I  am  to  become  a  minister! 
That  will  not  do.  I  lack  the  necessary  ability  and  experi- 
ence." 

"Nonsense,  sir!"  exclaimed  Clarke;  "when  the  emperor 
bestows  an  office  on  a  man,  he  gives  him  the  understanding 
required  for  it.  Hesitation  is  injurious,  because  it  only  post- 
pones your  departure.  Please  notice  that  you  have  not  been 
asked  whether  you  wish  to  accept  or  not,  but  that  the  emperor 
orders  your  presence,  and  that  quickly.  I  shall  lend  you  my 
own  travelling-coach,  and  send  my  secretary  with  you.  You 


308  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

will  travel  by  way  of  Mentz  and  Strasburg,  and  in  five  days 
you  must  be  at  Fontainebleau,  where  the  emperor  is  awaiting 
you  to  give  you  further  instructions.  Well,  when  do  you  in- 
tend to  set  out?" 

"  When  shall  I  set  out?  I  feel  as  one  dreaming,  or  as  if  all 
this  were  the  play  of  my  imagination." 

"  You  will  have  to  admit,  however,  that  it  is  at  least  brill- 
iant. It  is  worth  while,  I  should  think,  to  make  a  journey 
to  Paris  to  receive  the  appointment  of  cabinet-minister.  I 
ask  you  again,  When  will  you  set  out?  Remember,  it  is  the 
emperor  that  calls  you." 

"Oh,  then  he  has  not  forgotten  me,  the  great  man!"  ex- 
claimed Miiller.  "  After  so  many  victories,  he  still  remem- 
bers that  interview  in  which  I  learned  to  admire  him.  I  must 
not  be  ungrateful  for  so  gratifying  a  remembrance.  Only 
sublime  and  salutary  ideas  spring  from  the  head  of  Jove; 
hence,  I  submit  in  every  respect  to  his  will,  and  shall  go  to 
him  to  receive  his  orders  and  comply  with  his  wishes." 

"  Well  said!"  exclaimed  Clarke.  "You  will  set  out  to- 
morrow morning.  I  shall  prepare  every  thing  that  is  neces- 
sary. But,  remember,  the  courier  is  waiting  for  your  reply. 
Quick,  my  friend!  write  an  answer  to  the  minister.  But 
few  words  are  required.  Just  say  to  him:  'Your  excellency, 
I  come!'  That  will  be  sufficient." 

Johannes  von  Miiller,  almost  intoxicated  with  delight, 
hastened  to  his  desk,  and  wrote  a  few  lines.  "  I  have  written 
what  you  told  me,"  he  said,  smiling,  and  handing  the  pa- 
per to  the  general.  "  I  have  written :  '  Your  excellency,  I 
come!'" 

"  Now  fold  it  up  and  direct  it,"  said  Clarke. 

Miiller  did  so,  and  gave  the  sealed  letter  to  Clarke :  "  Well, 
general,  here  is  the  letter — I  deliver  it  into  your  hands,  and 
with  it  my  future." 

"Mr.  Minister,  permit  me  to  congratulate  you,"  said 
Clarke,  smiling,  and,  going  to  the  door,  he  gave  the  letter  to 
the  courier. 

"Minister!"  said  Johannes  von  Miiller,  with  a  joyful  air, 
"I  am  to  be  a  minister!"  But  suddenly  his  face  became 
gloomy.  "Alas!"  he  murmured,  " now  my  country  will  call 
me  a  traitor  indeed,  and  Gentz  will  seem  to  be  right  in  de- 
nouncing me  as  an  apostate,  and  accusing  me  of  having  ten- 
dered my  resignation  to  obtain  a  more  lucrative  office.  Well, 
no  matter,"  he  exclaimed,  after  a  pause,  "let  them  denounce 


FINANCIAL  CALAMITIES.  309 

and  slander  me!  My  conscience  acquits  me,  and  I  may  be 
permitted,  after  all,  to  be  useful  to  Germany  in  my  new 
position.  May  God  in  His  mercy  guide  me!" 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

FINANCIAL    CALAMITIES. 

" HEAVEN  be  praised  that  you  are  again  restored  to  us!" 
exclaimed  the  queen,  smiling  gratefully,  and  offering  her 
hand  to  Minister  von  Stein.  "  Oh,  believe  me,  such  a  sun- 
beam is  welcome  to  us  in  these  dreary  days  of  Memel." 

"It  is  true,"  said  Stein,  sighing.  "Your  majesty  has 
passed  disastrous  days,  and  I  am  glad  that  I  am  able  again  to 
assist  my  adored  queen  in  her  troubles." 

She  shook  her  head  mournfully.  "  I  do  not  believe  in  the 
possibility  of  any  alleviation  or  change.  We  have  suffered 
great  misfortunes,  and  greater  may  befall  us.  Since  the  days 
of  Jena  and  Auerstadt  our  sorrows  have  increased.  We  are 
constantly  experiencing  some  new  humiliation;  even  the 
treaty  of  Tilsit  is  not  the  climax  of  our  calamities.  They 
come  as  an  avalanche,  and  sometimes  I  wish  to  be  buried  be- 
neath them." 

"Then  the  last  ray  of  hope  for  Prussia  would  disappear," 
said  Stein.  "  If  your  majesty  desert  us,  we  are  irretrievably 
lost,  for  your  life,  your  courage,  and  your  spirit,  are  the  sup- 
port of  your  husband.  Without  Louisa,  Prussia  and  her  king 
would  perish." 

"  Oh,  it  is  true  he  loves  me,"  cheerfully  exclaimed  the 
queen.  "  The  king  treats  me  more  affectionately  than  ever. 
And  that  is  great  happiness  after  a  wedded  life  of  fourteen 
years!  I  will  be  grateful  to  him  as  long  as  I  live,  and  to 
Prussia  for  loving  me.  But,  alas!  I  have  no  other  thanks  for 
them  than  my  devotion  and  my  prayers!" 

"  You  have  still  your  courage  and  a  strong  hope  in  the 
future  of  your  country.  You  must  animate  the  desponding 
and  strengthen  the  weak.  Let  that  be  your  majesty's  great 
and  holy  duty." 

"  You  are  right,  I  must  not  despair,"  responded  the  queen, 

"  and  I  thank    you  for  having  admonished   me.     Oh,  it  is 

sometimes  very  difficult  to  bear  such  disasters,  and  I  feel  that 

my  health  is  giving  way  more  and  more.     And  tell  me  where 

X — MUHLBACH  VOL.    10 


310  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

am  I  to  look  for  consolation?  The  storm  is  upon  us,  and 
where  shall  we  find  a  refuge?  How  shall  we  escape  the 
thunderbolt?" 

"In  our  hopes  for  a  more  glorious  future,"  said  Stein, 
energetically. 

"Future!"  exclaimed  Louisa.  "There  is  no  future  with- 
out independence,  and  where  is  that  to  be  found  to-day?  All 
are  slaves  and  bow  in  the  most  abject  humility  to  a  master 
who,  in  his  turn,  is  but  the  slave  of  his  own  boundless  am- 
bition and  arrogance,  and,  alas!  there  is  no  man  living  who 
would  dare  to  set  bounds  to  them !  Do  you  know  how  dis- 
dainfully our  envoy,  M.  von  Knobelsdorf,  was  treated?  He 
was  utterly  unable  to  prefer  his  remonstrances  and  prayers 
that  Prussia  might  be  protected  from  further  extortion,  and 
that  the  French  armies  might  be  withdrawn.  Napoleon  re- 
ceived him  but  once,  and  then,  as  it  were,  accidentally.  The 
Prince  of  Baden  and  Cambaceres  were  in  the  room,  and  our 
ambassador  was  no  more  noticed  than  a  crumb  of  bread.  The 
emperor's  attendants  treated  him  in  the  same  manner,  and 
Minister  Champagny  remarked  to  Knobelsdorf  that  they* 
would  see  how  Prussia  behaved.  He  hoped  we  would  comply 
as  much  as  possible  with  the  emperor's  wishes,  for  such  a 
course  would  alone  be  likely  to  give  us  relief,  and  that  we 
ought  to  blame  no  one  but  ourselves.  Are  you  aware  of  this, 
and  are  you  still  hopeful  and  speak  of  a  happy  future?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  aware  of  all  this,  and  it  is  precisely  for  this 
reason  I  speak  as  I  do,"  said  Stein.  "  We  must  work  to  dispel 
the  dangers  to  which  your  majesty  referred ;  we  must  erect 
lightning-rods  to  attract  the  dangerous  fire.  If  your  majesty 
had  a  less  vigorous  soul,  I  should  conceal  from  you  the  calam- 
ities still  threatening  Prussia,  notwithstanding  the  treaty  of 
Tilsit ;  but  Queen  Louisa  is  the  genius  of  Prussia,  and  I  apply 
to  her  for  assistance!" 

"  Oh !"  exclaimed  the  queen,  anxiously,  "  bad  tidings  again, 
I  suppose?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Stein,  sadly — "  bad  tidings !  We  have  received 
the  last  propositions  or  rather  decrees  of  Napoleon.  He  im- 
poses on  Prussia  contributions  amounting  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  millions,  one-third  to  be  paid  immediately  in  cash;  bills 
will  be  accepted  for  fifty  millions,  and  estates  are  to  be  ceded 
to  France  for  the  last  fifty  millions.  The  five  fortresses  of 
Graudenz,  Kolberg,  Stettin,  Kiistrin,  and  Grlogau  are  de- 
manded as  security  for  the  payment.  Forty  thousand  French 


FINANCIAL  CALAMITIES.  311 

floldiers  are  to  garrison  the  fortresses,  ten  thousand  of  whom 
will  be  cavalry,  uniformed,  armed,  aud  fed  by  Prussia,  which 
is  to  furnish  twelve  millions  for  this  purpose.  The  estates  of 
the  king  iu  the  districts  of  Magdeburg  aud  Brandenburg, 
between  the  Elbe  and  the  Oder,  and  in  Pomerania,  are  to  be 
ceded  and  disposed  of  in  what  manner  the  emperor  may  deem 
prudent.  As  the  forty  thousand  men  will  be  unable  to  find 
sufficient  room  iu  the  five  fortresses,  certain  districts  of  Prus- 
sia will  have  to  be  assigned  them." 

"And  what  remains  then  to  the  king?"  exclaimed  Louisa, 
with  flaming  eyes.  "  What  remains  to  us?" 

"  This  must  not  be,"  said  Stein.  "  We  must  leave  nothing 
undone — we  must  strain  every  nerve  to  prevent  it.  The  dis- 
asters of  Prussia  compel  us  to  shrink  from  nothing  to  avert 
this  last  and  terrible  blow,  or  the  country  will  be  hopelessly 
ruined.  Oh,  I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  distress,  the  mis- 
ery, the  disgrace  I  witnessed  in  the  cities  through  which  I 
passed  on  my  journey.  Your  majesty  knows  that  I  was  at 
Berlin ;  I  saw  that  Daru  and  Clarke  behaved  in  the  most  reck- 
less and  scornful  manner,  refusing  with  sneers  to  listen  to  any 
remonstrances.  They  seemed  to  be  bent  on  oppressing  and 
impoverishing  the  country,  and  drinking  the  last  drop  of  its 
heart's  blood !  I  beheld  everywhere  the  same  heart-rending 
spectacle  that  I  witnessed  at  the  capital.  Every  city  and 
fortress  has  its  systematic  tormentor  in  some  governor  or 
commander,  distinguished  for  arrogance  and  cruelty.  The 
distress  is  unutterable,  and  yet  the  people  hope  for  speedy 
deliverance.  The  eyes  of  all  are  turning  with  tears,  it  is  true, 
but  with  love  and  hope,  to  Memel,  the  heart  of  the  Prussian 
monarchy.  All  the  hopes  of  your  subjects  are  centred  in  the 
king  and  the  queen ;  to  you  they  look  for  alleviation." 

"Alas!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  bursting  into  tears,  "is 
there,  then,  any  way  by  which  we  can  help  them?  Oh,  name 
it!  What  can  the  king — what  can  I  do  to  procure  relief  for 
Prussia?" 

"  The  greatest  burden  at  this  moment  is  the  presence  of  the 
French  troops,  aud  the  oppressive  conduct  of  the  public 
officials,  who  are  openly  disregarding  all  the  laws  and  institu- 
tions of  the  country,  and  trampling  under  foot  the  most 
solemn  rights.  We  must  make  every  possible  effort  to  rid 
Prussia  of  these  men.  To  accomplish  this,  we  must,  in  the 
first  place,  try  to  find  means  to  pay  the  first  third  of  the  con- 
tribution; and  next,  to  induce  Napoleon  to  grant  us  better 


312  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

terms  for  the  payment  of  the  remainder.  "We  must  endeavor 
to  induce  him  to  consent  to  a  gradual  liquidation  (which 
would  be  more  in  accordance  with  our  ability),  and  without 
insisting  on  retaining  the  fortresses  as  security,  and  oppressing 
us  with  an  army  of  forty  thousand  men.  In  this  way  our  ex- 
hausted treasury  would  not  be  required  to  pay  the  additional 
twelve  millions  for  equipping  the  French  soldiers,  and  the 
country  would  be  preserved  from  the  tyranny  of  a  hostile 
occupation." 

"  But  you  may  depend  on  it,  there  is  no  way  to  soften  that 
heart  of  Napoleon,"  said  the  queen,  sighing.  "He  is  cer- 
tainly a  victorious  warrior,  but  he  is  not  great  in  the  highest 
sense — he  is  not  good,  for  he  knows  neither  compassion  nor 
love.  He  has  marked  out  his  path  in  lines  of  blood,  and  he 
pursues  it  over  the  slain  of  the  battle-field  and  the  ruins  of 
once  prosperous  and  happy  nations.  Napoleon  has  no  pity, 
and  our  complaints  would  but  gratify  his  pride. " 

"  And  yet  we  must  try  to  dispose  him  to  comply  with  our 
wishes,"  said  Stein.  "The  king  has  resolved  upon  writing 
to-day  to  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  imploring  him  to  in- 
struct Count  Tolstoy,  his  ambassador  in  Paris,  to  remonstrate 
with  Napoleon,  and  convince  him  of  the  cruelty  and  injustice 
of  his  demands.  Oh,  the  king  is  ready,  with  an  energy  de- 
serving the  highest  admiration,  to  do  every  thing  to  lessen  the 
burdens  under  which  his  subjects  are  groaning.  He  himself 
has  drawn  up  a  financial  plan  to  procure  the  first  twelve  mill- 
ions, which  we  shall  offer  to  pay  immediately.  He  is  ready 
to  order  reductions  in  the  budget  of  the  army,  the  opera,  the 
ballet,  and  the  extraordinary  pensions.  He  himself  sets  an 
example  of  self-denial  and  economy.  He  will  reduce  further 
his  household,  and  retain  only  the  most  indispensable  ser- 
vants. Notwithstanding  my  protestations,  he  insists  on  re- 
fusing to  accept  the  civil  list  due  him." 

"Oh,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  "who  can  call  me  unhappy 
when  I  am  the  wife  of  the  noblest  of  men?  But  I  will  also 
take  part  in  these  sacrifices,  and  I  hope  the  king  has  also  re- 
fused to  accept  the  money  paid  me  by  the  state  treasury." 

"  No,  your  majesty.  That  should  not  be  curtailed ;  I  would 
never  advise  it,  and  the  king  would  not  consent." 

"  But  I  insist,"  replied  the  queen,  firmly.  "My  king  and 
husband  must  forgive  me  if  I  choose  for  once  to  have  a  will 
of  my  own.  If  the  king  is  ready  to  suffer  privations,  then  it 
is  my  right  and  duty  to  share  them." 


FINANCIAL  CALAMITIES.  313 

"  But  your  majesty  ought  to  think  of  your  children,  who 
would  also  suffer.  Pray  take  into  consideration  that  the  royal 
family  would  be  reduced  to  a  very  small  income,  and  that  the 
most  rigid  economy  could  not  preserve  you  from  embarrass- 
ments. A  portion  of  the  royal  estates  is  to  be  mortgaged  or 
sold  for  the  purpose  of  defraying  part  of  the  French  contribu- 
tion; considering  the  universal  distress,  it  is  very  probable 
that  the  income  to  be  derived  from  the  other  estates  will  not 
be  paid  at  all,  or  very  tardily.  The  king,  moreover,  gave  up 
very  considerable  resources  by  sending  the  large  gold  dinner- 
set  to  the  mint  to  be  converted  into  coin,  which  he  did  not 
use  for  himself  or  his  household,  but  paid  into  the  state  treas- 
ury. If  your  majesty,  like  the  king,  refuses  to  accept  money 
from  the  treasury,  pecuniary  difficulties  will  arise,  which  will 
be  the  more  painful  to  you,  as  your  children  will  suffer,  de- 
prived of  the  comforts  to  which  they  have  been  accustomed." 

"•That  will  produce  a  salutary  effect,"  said  the  queen, 
quickly.  "  Circumstances  educate  men,  and  it  will  certainly 
be  good  for  my  children  to  be  familiar  with  something  more 
than  the  sunniest  side  of  life.  If  they  had  grown  up  in 
opulence,  they  would  ever  consider  it  as  a  matter  of  course; 
but  that  there  may  be  a  change,  they  learn  now  from  the 
gravity  of  their  father,  and  the  tears  of  their  mother.  It  is 
especially  good  for  the  crown  prince  to  become  acquainted 
with  adversity — when,  as  I  hope,  happier  times  come,  he  will 
better  appreciate  his  prosperity.  Let  them  share  our  adverse 
fortune!  I  know  how  to  protect  them  from  real  want.  I 
have  still  some  means  left,  and  the  Lord  will  not  forsake  us. 
Do  not  call  this  stubbornness  or  presumption.  You  know  we 
have  not  refrained  from  every  exertion  to  lessen  our  calamities. 
I  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to  beg  the  Duke  de  Rovigo,  who  is 
now  governor  of  East  Prussia,  to  intercede  with  the  emperor 
concerning  the  contributions,  and  to  have  restored  to  us  our 
estates,  because  they  were  our  only  possessions.  Do  you  know 
the  reply  the  duke  made?  He  told  me  that  all  solicitations 
would  be  in  vain,  and  even  the  intercession  of  Russia  would 
be  of  no  avail  in  regard  to  this  matter.  He  added  that  there 
remained  to  us  one  way  of  procuring  money,  and  he  advised 
us  to  sell  our  plate  and  jewels." 

"The  impudent  villain!"  exclaimed  Stein,  indignantly. 
"  How  could  he  go  so  far  as  to  use  such  language  toward  your 
majesty!" 

"It  is  true,"  said  the  queen,  gently,  "it  pained  me  griev- 


314  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ously,  and  brought  tears.  Not  that  my  heart  cares  for  worldly 
splendor,  but  there  is  something  inexpressibly  offensive  in 
the  scorn  with  which  those  men,  and  particularly  the  Duke 
de  Kovigo,  imitate  the  example  of  their  master.  But,  after 
all,  that  sagacious  duke  was  right,  perhaps,  for  useless  jewels 
may  be  converted  into  money.  I  admit,"  added  the  queen, 
with  a  smile,  "  that  I  had  never  thought  of  it;  it  would  never 
have  occurred  to  me  that  we  might  get  money  by  selling  our 
personal  property.  In  fact,  I  ought  to  be  grateful  to  M. 
Savary  for  his  advice." 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  deeply  affected,  "you  must 
not  think  of  selling  your  jewels.  Better  times  will  come. 
Even  in  these  days  of  adversity  there  will  be  occasions  when 
you  must  show  yourself  to  your  people  at  public  festivities  and 
demonstrations;  they  like  to  see  their  queen  adorned  in  a 
regal  and  becoming  manner." 

"  My  most  becoming  ornament  will  be  simplicity,  and  'the 
tears  of  gratitude  with  which  I  shall  receive  those  who  wish 
to  honor  me." 

"  But  your  jewels  are  the  heirlooms  of  your  children,  your 
majesty." 

"  The  only  inheritance  of  our  children  which  we  are  not  al- 
lowed to  part  with  is  our  honor,"  said  the  queen,  firmly.  "  We 
would  not  sell  it  for  all  the  empires  of  the  world.  That  must 
remain  to  us.  As  for  the  rest,  we  must  learn  to  do  without  it." 

"  But  it  will  greatly  pain  the  king  should  your  majesty  sell 
your  jewels.  It  will  be  another  humiliation." 

"  Oh,  I  can  conceal  it  from  him,"  exclaimed  the  queen.  '  I 
shall  sell  those  superfluous  articles  secretly.  There  will  be  no 
festivities  here,  and  hence  it  will  be  unnecessary  ior  me  to 
appear  in  royal  attire.  Two- thirds  of  the  money  realized  will 
pay  the  pensions  of  the  king's  old  servants;  for  I  know  the 
unsettled  arrears  cause  my  husband  many  a  pang.  When 
these  worthy  men,  who  are  ito  be  deprived  of  the  salaries  which 
they  so  richly  deserve,  send  in  their  receipts,  then  let  my 
husband  find  out  whence  we  have  obtained  the  money;  then, 
I  hope,  he  will  forgive  my  having  taken  this  step  without  his 
permission.  You  must  assist  me  in  this  matter,  and  take 
upon  yourself  the  payment  of  the  pensions  and  salaries ;  will 
you  promise  me  to  do  so?" 

Baron  von  Stein  endeavored  to  reply,  but  the  words  died  on 
his  lips;  he  bowed  over  the  hand  the  queen  offered  him,  and 
tears  fell  on  it  as  he  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 


FINANCIAL  CALAMITIES.  316 

"Oh,"  said  the  queen,  "was  I  not  right  in  saying  that  I 
should  never  lack  ornaments?  Are  there  any  more  precious 
than  the  sympathizing  tears  of  a  high-minded  man?" 

"  Pardon  me,"  whispered  Baron  von  Stein.  "  I  wish  I  could 
transmute  them  into  diamonds,  and  lay  them  at  the  feet  of 
my  queen." 

"And  what,"  asked  Louisa,  "would  they  be  worth  com- 
pared with  your  noble  and  faithful  heart?  We  can  do  with- 
out jewelry,  but  not  without  your  services." 

"  Henceforth  all  my  thought  and  energy  shall  be  devoted  to 
Prussia,"  said  the  minister.  "But  your  majesty  must  be  so 
kind  as  to  assist  me.  I  must  implore  you  to  unite  with  me  to 
obtain  from  Napoleon  less  rigorous  terms,  and  the  withdrawal 
of  the  French  troops." 

"Alas!  what  can  I  do?  You  see  I  am  ready  to  do  any 
thing  to  lessen  the  sorrows  of  Prussia.  Tell  me,  therefore, 
wha,t  I  am  to  do." 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  majesty.  I  have  drawn 
up  a  plan  which  will  enable  Prussia  to  pay  this  burdensome  debt 
in  the  course  of  three  years.  It  is  true,  we  have  to  consent  to 
large  reductions, collect  the  war-debt  due  from  Russia,  negotiate 
loans,  impose  on  the  subjects  of  Prussia,  besides  the  ordinary 
taxes,  extraordinary  contributions,  and  an  income-tax,  and 
issue  paper  money.  These  onerous  expedients  will  deliver  us 
at  least  from  the  present  pressure  by  furnishing  us  the  means 
of  paying  the  French  contributions.  It  is  only  necessary  to 
send  my  plan  to  Paris — to  deliver  it  safely  into  the  hands  of 
Napoleon,  and  induce  him  to  accept  it." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  ask  me  to  go  to  Paris  for  this  pur- 
pose!" exclaimed  the  queen,  in  dismay. 

"No,"  answered  Stein,  "I  have  proposed  to  his  majesty  to 
intrust  this  task  to  his  brother,  Prince  William.  The  king 
has  approved  my  proposition,  and  sent  for  the  prince  to  re- 
quest him  to  undertake  this  difficult  and  dangerous  mission." 

"Pie  will  joyfully  consent  to  do  so,"  exclaimed  Louisa. 
"  He  loves  his  king  and  his  country,  and  will  shrink  from  no 
sacrifice.  Alas,  he  will  have  to  endure  many  a  humiliation, 
and  in  vain;  it  will  lead  to  nothing." 

"  We  must  send  powerful  auxiliaries  with  him,"  said  Stein, 
quickly.  "And  now  I  shall  state  the  request  which  I  desire 
to  make  to  your  majesty.  You  must  support  the  prince,  and 
help  him  in  his  difficult  undertaking.  I  beseech  you,  there- 
fore, to  give  him  au  autograph  letter  to  Napoleon;  condescend 


316  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

to  entreat  the  emperor  to  be  merciful  and  generous;  depict  to 
him  the  distress  of  your  country,  the  sufferings  of  your  sub- 
jects, and  the  privations  of  your  family,  and  appeal  to  his 
magnanimity  to  desist  from  his  demands,  and  accept  our  plan 
of  payment.  Oh,  your  majesty,  in  your  enthusiasm  and 
patriotic  love,  you  are  inspired  with  a  power  of  expression 
which  even  Napoleon  will  be  unable  to  resist;  and  whatever 
he  would  refuse  to  the  prayers  of  the  prince  he  will  yield  to 
those  of  Queen  Louisa!" 

"Never!"  she  exclaimed.  "  Never  can  I  subject  myself  to 
this  humiliation!  Never  can  I  stoop  so  low  as  to  write  to 
that  man!  Oh,  you  do  not  know  how  pitilessly  he  insulted 
me;  otherwise  you  would  not  dare  to  ask  me.  Kemember 
what  I  have  already  done,  how  low  I  have  humbled  myself, 
and  all  for  nothing.  Can  I  forget  those  days  of  Tilsit,  when 
I  seemed  to  live  only  for  the  purpose  of  heightening  the  con- 
queror's pride  by  my  woe-begone  appearance — when  I  felt  as 
if  chained  in  a  triumphal  car,  and  endeavored  with  a  moilrn- 
ful  smile  to  conceal  my  shame  and  misery,  in  order  to  meet 
him  politely  whose  heartless  glances  made  my  soul  tremble? 
How  can  I  write  to  him  whom  I  implored  at  Tilsit,  but  who 
carried  his  cruelty  so  far  as  to  make  promises  which  he  after- 
ward renounced' — who  designated  as  acts  of  gallantry  the  as- 
surances he  had  given  in  reply  to  the  tears  of  my  motherly 
heart?  If  I  could  save  Prussia,  and  secure  the  happiness  of 
my  husband  and  children,  I  would  willingly  suffer  death,  but 
this  renewed  humiliation  is  beyond  my  strength." 

The  minister,  folding  his  arms,  looked  with  deep  emotion 
at  the  excited  queen,  as  she  rapidly  walked  up  and  down  the 
apartment.  Standing  in  front  of  him,  she  said  in  a  gentle, 
imploring  voice :  "  I  am  sure  you  feel  that  your  request  can- 
not possibly  be  granted." 

"  May  I  repeat  to  your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  solemnly,  "  the 
words  you  uttered  just  now  with  regard  to  Prince  William? — 
'The  prince  will  joyfully  consent  to  undertake  the  difficult 
mission.  He  loves  his  king  and  his  country,  and  will  shrink 
from  no  sacrifice.' ' 

The  queen  burst  into  tears,  and,  turning  away  from  Stein, 
again  but  slowly  paced  the  room,  her  head  thrown  back,  her 
eyes  turned  upward  with  a  suppliant  expression,  and  her  lips 
quivering. 

"  She  is  undergoing  a  terrible  struggle,"  said  Stein  to  him- 
self, "  but  she  will  be  victorious,  for  her  heart  is  noble,  and 


FINANCIAL  CALAMITIES.  317 

eternal  love  is  in  her  and  with  her."  He  was  not  mistaken. 
Gradually  she  grew  calmer;  her  eyes  became  more  cheerful, 
and  her  features  assumed  a  serene  expression. 

"Baron  von  Stein,"  she  said,  "I  will  do  what  you  ask  of 
me;  I  will  conquer  myself.  As  you  believe  it  prudent,  I  will 
write  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  and  entreat  him  to  spare 
Prussia.  I  desire  you  to  draw  up  the  letter  for  me,  so  that  it 
may  be  only  necessary  to  copy  it." 

"I  foresaw  this,  and  complied  with  it  in  advance,"  said  the 
minister,  taking  out  his  memorandum-book,  and  presenting 
a  sheet  of  paper.  "Here,"  he  said,  "is  a  draught  of  the 
needed  letter.  If  your  majesty  approve  it,  I  venture  to  re- 
quest you  to  copy  it  speedily,  for  this  business  must  not  be 
delayed,  and  if  the  prince  accepts  the  propositions  of  the 
king,  it  would  be  advisable  and  necessary  for  him  to  set  out 
to-day." 

The  queen  hastily  glanced  over  the  letter.  "  It  is  all 
right,"  she  said;  "  I  approve  all  you  have  written.  I  wish  to 
get  through  at  once  with  this  painful  matter,  and  I  request 
you  to  wait  until  I  have  copied  it.  You  may  take  it  with 
you,  and  lay  it  before  the  king." 

She  hastened  to  her  desk,  and  wrote  rapidly,  but  at  times 
hesitating,  as  though  her  pen  refused  the  humiliating  words. 
But  at  last  she  finished,  and  having  quickly  read  what  she  had 
written,  she  called  Minister  von  Stein  to  her  side.  "Here," 
she  said,  sighing,  and  handing  the  paper  to  him,  "  take  it, 
the  sacrifice  has  been  made.  Will  my  people,"  she  added, 
weeping,  "  will  my  children  be  hereafter  grateful  to  me  for 
having  humbled  myself  for  their  sake?  Will  they  ever  think 
how  painful  must  have  been  these  sacrifices?  Will  they  re- 
member and  thank  rne  for  them  in  happier  days?" 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Stein,  enthusiastically,  "  never  will 
they  forget  such  devotion  to  your  country;  and  when  our 
great-grandchildren  talk  of  these  days  of  wretchedness,  they 
will  say:  'Prussia  could  be  humiliated,  but  she  could  never 
perish;  for  Louisa  was  her  good  genius,  praying,  acting,  and 
suffering  for  her.'  " 

"Well,"  whispered  the  queen,  sadly,  "my  slumber  in  the 
grave  will  be  sweet. "  Starting  suddenly,  she  laid  her  hand 
on  her  heart.  "Oh, "she  groaned,  "  how  long  before  this 
troubled  life  of  mine  shall  cease! — I  will  tell  you  something, 
Baron  von  Stein.  Death  is  not  far  from  me,  and  I  feel  that 
he  comes  nearer  every  day.  There  is  no  future  for  me  on 


318  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

earth.  But  God's  will  be  done.  I  read  the  other  day  some- 
where, 'Sufferings  and  afflictions  are  blessings  when  they  are 
overcome.'  Oh,  how  true  that  is!  I  myself  say,  in  the 
midst  of  my  afflictions  that  they  are  blessings!  How  much 
nearer  I  am  to  God ! — how  clear  and  true  my  ideas  of  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul!  Seen  through  these  tears,  the  solemn 
facts  of  the  future  come  to  me  with  resistless  power.  Adver- 
sity, if  rightly  used,  does  instruct  and  bless.  I  do  not  com- 
plain therefore  that  I  have  been  called  to  weep."  A  low 
knocking  at  the  door  interrupted  her,  and  the  footman  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of  Prince  William. 


CHAPTEE    XXXVI. 

PRINCE    WILLIAM. 

THE  queen  met  her  husband's  brother  with  a  pleasant 
smile,  and  offered  him  her  hand.  "  I  suppose,  my  brother, 
you  come  to  bid  me  farewell?"  she  asked. 

"  I  come  to  get  from  my  noble  sister  the  letter  that  I  am  to 
deliver  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon,"  said  the  prince,  respect- 
fully kissing  the  hand  of  his  sister-in-law. 

Louisa  turned  her  eyes  toward  the  minister.  "  The  king 
knew,  then,  that  you  were  to  request  me  to  write  the  letter?" 

"  Yes,  but  he  forbade  me  to  say  that  he  deemed  it  neces- 
sary. It  was  to  depend  on  your  majesty's  unbiassed  judg- 
ment whether  it  should  be  written  or  not." 

"You  see,  my  sister,"  exclaimed  the  prince,  "  I  had  no 
doubt  whatever  as  to  your  decision." 

"  Nor  I  that  you  would  set  out  to-day,"  said  Louisa,  smiling. 

"  But  will  your  majesty  pardon  me  when  I  confess  that  I 
have  not  come  merely  for  the  letter,  and  to  take  leave  of 
you?"  asked  the  prince.  "I  heard  from  the  king  that  Min- 
ister von  Stein  was  with  your  majestyvand  as  I  am  going  to 
set  out  to-night,  and  my  time  accordingly  is  very  limited,  I 
decided  to  have  settled  a  little  business  affair  with  the 
minister." 

"It  affords  me  pleasure,"  said  the  queen. 

"And  you,  minister,"  asked  the  prince,  bowing  to  the 
baron,  "will  you  grant  me  a  brief  audience  to-day?" 

"  I  shall  immediately  repair  to  the  anteroom  of  your  royal 


PRINCE  WILLIAM.  319 

highness,  and  wait  until  you  return,"  said  Stein,  approaching 
the  door. 

"  Oh,  no!  pray,  stay  here,"  exclaimed  the  queen.  "  I  offer 
this  room  to  the  prince  as  a  salle  de  conferences,  and  shall  re- 
tire into  my  cabinet." 

The  prince  followed  the  queen,  who  was  about  to  withdraw, 
and  conducted  her  back  to  the  sofa.  "Pardon,  my  sister," 
he  said,  "  I  do  not  desire  to  confer  with  the  minister  about 
secrets  that  your  majesty  cannot  hear.  I  only  wish  to  ask  a 
favor  of  his  excellency,  the  minister  of  finance.  You,  doubt- 
less, need  a  great  deal  of  money  at  the  present  time,  while  my 
wife  and  I  are  spending  much  less  than  heretofore,  because 
we  are  living  here  in  very  humble  style.  We  have  made  our 
calculations,  and  ascertained  that  we  are  able  to  do  with  two- 
thirds  of  our  income.  Accordingly,  I  request  you  to  accede 
to  my  resolution  that,  until  times  are  better,  I  give  up  one- 
third,  and  beg  you  to  pay  this  amount  into  the  state  treasury." 

"Ah,  my  brother,"  replied  the  queen,  "you  are  worthy  of 
being  the  brother  of  the  best  of  kings,  for  you  vie  with  him 
in  every  virtue.  Prussia  cannot  be  crushed  so  long  as  such 
princes  stand  by  her  side." 

"  And  so  long  as  she  is  protected  by  such  a  queen,"  said  the 
prince,  kissing  the  offered  hand  of  his  sister-in-law.  lie 
then  turned  again  to  the  minister.  "  Your  excellency,"  he 
said,  "  I  am  commissioned  to  reveal  the  same  resolution  to 
you  in  the  name  of  my  brother.  Prince  Henry  also  gives  one- 
third  of  his  income,  and  requests  the  minister  of  finance  to 
pay  this  amount  into  the  state  treasury.  Is  this  verbal  dec- 
laration sufficient,  or  will  it  be  necessary  for  us  to  repeat  it 
in  writing?" 

"  It  will  be  necessary  for  your  royal  highness,  as  well  as  for 
Prince  Henry,  to  make  a  written  declaration  to  this  effect, 
and  hand  it  to  the  minister  of  state.  It  will  then  be  de- 
posited in  the  archives  of  the  royal  house,  and  will  one  day  be 
a  splendid  monument  of  your  patriotism." 

"  In  that  case,  a  declaration  in  writing  being  required,  I  re- 
quest you  to  be  so  kind  as  to  accompany  me  to  my  house. 
We  will  settle  the  matter  at  once,  and  invite  Prince  Henry  to 
participate  in  the  transaction.  Can  you  spare  us  fifteen  min- 
utes, and  will  you  accept  a  seat  in  my  carriage?" 

"I  am  at  the  service  of  your  royal  highness,"  said  Stein, 
bowing. 

"Then  I  beg  my  sister  to  dismiss  us,"  said  the  prince,  ap- 


320  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

preaching  the  queen.  "  I  have  many  things  yet  to  attend  to, 
so  that  every  minute  is  precious,  and,  above  all,  I  have  to  in- 
form my  wife  of  my  speedy  departure.  Let  me  beg  you,  my 
sister,  to  be  a  faithful  friend  of  Marianne  in  my  absence; 
take  my  beloved  wife  under  your  protection,  and,  when  she  is 
afflicted,  permit  her  to  be  near  you." 

"  We  shall  weep  together,  my  brother, "  said  the  queen, 
deeply  moved.  "  All  of  us  will  miss  you,  and  it  will  seem  as 
though  life  had  become  drearier  when  you  are  absent.  But, 
considering  your  generous  resolution,  it  does  not  behoove  me 
to  complain  of  our  fate.  Joyfully,  as  you  have  done,  we  shall 
submit  to  it.  I  entertain  the  firm  belief  that  there  are  bet- 
ter days  for  Prussia.  Go,  my  brother,  and  assist  in  hastening 
them  by  word  and  deed.  God  will  protect  you,  and  the  love 
of  your  wife,  and  of  your  brothers  and  sisters,  will  accompany 
you!  Farewell!"  She  waved  her  hand,  and  turned  away  to 
conceal  her  tears. 

The  prince  withdrew  in  silence,  followed  by  the  minister. 
The  queen  heard  the  door  close  after  him,  and,  raising  her 
arms  toward  heaven,  exclaimed  in  a  fervent  tone :  "  My  God, 
protect  Prussia!  Oh,  bless  our  country  and  our  people!" 
She  stood  thus  praying,  with  uplifted  arms. 

After  a  pause,  she  murmured,  "  Now  it  is  time  to  attend  to 
my  business  with  the  jeweller.  The  king  is  in  his  cabinet, 
and  never  comes  at  this  hour."  Having  rung  the  bell,  she 
ordered  the  footman  to  request  the  court-jeweller  to  call  at 
once  on  the  queen.  Going  to  her  dressing-room,  she  took 
from  the  table  a  large  leathern  box  containing  all  her  jewelry. 
She  succeeded  with  difficulty  m  carrying  the  heavy  box  into 
the  reception-room,  but  she  thought,  smilingly:  "  The  heavier 
it  is,  the  better."  Opening  the  caskets,  the  brilliant  orna- 
ments gladdened  her  more  than  they  had  ever  done.  The 
table  was  covered  with  them,  and  she  contemplated  their 
beauty  and  value  "Ah!"  she  exclaimed,  "I  did  not  know 
that  I  was  so  rich.  These  precious  stones  will  certainly  bring 
money  enough  to  pay  all  arrears,  and  there  will  be  something 
over  for  my  children." 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  the  anteroom  opened,  and  the 
footman  announced  Mr.  Marcus,  the  court-jeweller.  The 
queen  ordered  him  to  be  admitted,  adding,  that  no  one  else 
was  to  be  announced  while  he  was  present.  She  then  locked 
the  opposite  door  leading  into  the  small  corridor,  and  thence 
to  the  rooms  of  the  king.  In  the  mean  time  the  jeweller  had 


PRINCE  WILLIAM.  321 

entered;  he  remained  respectfully  at  the  door,  and  waited  for 
the  queen  to  accost  him. 

"Mr.  Marcus,"  said  Louisa,  gracefully  acknowledging  his 
bow,  "  I  sent  for  you  to  confer  about  my  jewelry.  I  should 
like  to  make  some  changes  in  it;  and  then,  as  we  cannot  tell 
•whither  these  stormy  times  may  drive  us  or  our  property,  I 
•wish  to  make  an  invoice  of  these  articles,  and  ascertain  their 
cash  value.  Please  step  to  the  table,  and  be  kind  enough  to 
tell  me  how  much  all  this  is  worth." 

Me.  Marcus  approached  and  carefully  examined  the  mag- 
nificent array  before  him.  "  These  are  real  treasures,  your 
majesty,"  he  said,  admiringly;  "several  pieces  among  them 
are  exceedingly  rich." 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  "I  suppose  one  could  get  a 
great  deal  of  money  for  them?" 

"  Your  majesty,"  said  Mr.  Marcus,  shrugging  his  shoulders, 
"  it  needs  much  money — in  fact,  an  enormous  fortune,  to  buy 
them.  Part  of  their  value  consists  in  their  artistic  setting." 

"Ah,  I  understand;  you  mean  to  say  that,  if  they  were  to 
be  sold  now,  one  would  not  get  as  much  as  was  paid  for  them." 

"Not  half  as  much,  your  majesty!  The  intrinsic  value  is 
very  different  from  the  cost,  which  depends  much  on  the 
setting." 

"  Pray  tell  me,  then,  their  intrinsic  value." 

"Your  majesty,  to  do  so  correctly,  it  would  be  necessary 
for  me  to  examine  every  piece." 

''  Do  so,  Mr.  Marcus.  I  will  take  my  memorandum-book 
and  enter  each  one,  affixing  the  price.  Afterward  we  can 
ascertain  the  whole  amount." 

The  jeweller  looked  in  surprise  at  the  queen ;  she  apparently 
did  not  notice  it,  but  pointed  with  the  lead-pencil,  which  she 
had  in  her  hand,  at  one  of  the  caskets.  "  There  is  my  large 
diamond  necklace;  what  do  you  think  that  is  worth,  sir?" 

The  jeweller  took  up  the  necklace,  twinkling  as  a  cluster  of 
stars.  "These  diamonds  are  magnificent,"  he  said;  "they 
are  only  a  little  yellow,  and  here  and  there  is  a  slight  defect. 
I  think,  however,  that  the  stones,  without  the  setting,  are 
worth  five  thousand  dollars." 

"Five  thousand  dollars,"  wrote  the  queen.  "Now,  the 
necklace  of  rubies  and  diamonds." 

"  These  Turkish  rubies  belong  to  that  very  rare  kind  to  be 
met  with  only  in  royal  treasuries,"  said  the  jeweller.  "  They 
are  antiaue,  and  look  like  sparkling  blood.  Their  value  is 


322  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

immense,  your  majesty;  only  a  connoisseur  would  be  able  to 
appreciate  them,  and  it  is  difficult  to  appraise  them  but  by 
the  standard  value  of  other  Turkish  rubies.  A  jeweller 
might,  however,  receive  twice  as  much  as  I  name — four  thou- 
sand dollars,  according  to  the  ordinary  standard." 

"  Four  thousand  dollars, "  wrote  the  queen ;  "  now,  the  next. " 

"Here,"  he  said,  "is  a  complete  set  of  the  most  beautiful 
round  pearls:  a  diadem,  a  necklace,  earrings,  and  bracelets," 
taking  up  a  large  case  which  had  not  been  opened,  and  rais- 
ing its  lid.  • 

"No,"  said  the  queen,  blushing,  "we  will  not  appraise 
these  pearls.  I  have  inherited  them  from  my  lamented 
mother,  and  they  are  therefore  of  priceless  value  to  me." 
She  extended  her  hand  and  laid  the  casket  on  the  table  at  her 
side.  "  Now  tell  me  the  value  of  the  other  articles;  take  that 
necklace  of  Indian  emeralds — " 

Half  an  hour  afterward  the  list  was  completed.  "  Thirty 
thousand  dollars,"  said  the  queen;  "that,  then,  is  the  full 
value  of  my  jewelry?" 

"  Yes,  your  majesty,  but  its  cost  must  have  been  several 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  I  have  stated  only  the  imperish- 
able value  of  the  stones;  it  is  impossible  to  appraise  the 
setting." 

"Well,  just  now  I  care  only  for  the  cash  equivalent,"  said 
the  queen,  quickly.  "  And  now,  sir,  listen  to  me.  When 
I  was  requested  to  procure  you  the  appointment  of  jeweller 
to  the  court,  I  made  inquiries  concerning  your  character,  and 
heard  nothing  but  the  most  flattering  opinions.  You  are 
known  as  an  honorable  man  in  whom  all  may  repose  con- 
fidence. I  will  prove  to  you  the  high  value  I  attach  to  public 
opinion,  and  I  rely  on  you  to  keep  secret  what  I  am  about  to 
tell  you." 

"  I  swear  by  all  that  is  sacred  that  what  your  majesty  is 
gracious  enough  to  reveal  shall  remain  buried  in  my  heart  as 
a  precious  gem  in  the  depths  of  the  sea." 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  the  queen.  "  I  want  to  sell  all  these 
diamonds,  emeralds,  and  rubies — every  thing,  except  my 
pearls." 

"Sell  them!'.'  exclaimed  Mr.  Marcus,  starting  back  and 
turning  pale.  "  Oh,  no,  pardon  me,  your  majesty,  I  have 
misunderstood  you.  My  hearing  is  a  little  impaired.  I  beg 
pardon  for  my  mistake,  and  request  your  majesty  to  be  kind 
enough  to  repeat  your  orders." 


PRINCE  WILLIAM.  323 

a  You  did  not  mistake  my  words,"  said  the  queen,  kindly. 
"I  do  want  to  sell  them." 

"Has  it  come  to  this,"  said  the  jeweller,  sighing,  "that 
our  noble  and  beautiful  queen  is  unwilling  to  wear  again  her 
accustomed  ornaments;  and  that  she  considers  it  no  longer 
worth  while  to  be  seen  by  her  poor,  unhappy  people  in  the 
splendor  of  a  queen?"  Sobs  choked  his  voice,  and,  unable  to 
repress  his  tears,  he  turned  away  and  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands. 

"  It  has  come  to  that,  sir,  that  the  queen  will  also  take  part 
in  the  privations  of  her  country ;  that  she  will  have  no  other 
diamonds  than  the  grateful  tears  of  her  loyal  people,  and  that 
she  believes  herself  sufficiently  adorned  when  at  the  side  of 
her  husband,  and  surrounded  by  her  children.  I  thank  you 
for  your  sympathy,  for  they  prove  your  honest  disposition 
toward  me.  But  believe  me,  I  need  no  pity.  If  every  good 
man  has  peace  in  his  own  heart,  he  will  have  cause  to  rejoice. 
And  now,  sir,  let  us  talk  calmly  about  this  matter." 

"I  am  ready  to  receive  the  orders  of  your  majesty,"  said 
Mr.  Marcus,  making  an  effort  to  regain  his  composure,  "  and 
entreat  my  august  queen  to  forgive  me  that  my  feelings  over- 
came me  in  her  presence.  But  now  I  must  examine  the 
jewels  more  carefully  than  before.  Believing  that  they  were 
merely  to  be  invoiced  without  reference  to  their  sale,  I  stated 
only  their  lowest  value.  I  am  sure  better  prices  might  be 
obtained  for  them,  and,  besides,  it  remains  for  me  to  ascer- 
tain the  value  of  the  gold  setting  by  weighing  it." 

**  Oh,  no,"  said  the  queen,  smiling.  "  Let  us  not  enter  into 
such  minute  details.  Besides,  the  purchaser  ought  to  have 
something  for  his  trouble,  and  for  the  risk  of  being  unable  to 
sell  again.  We  will,  therefore,  let  your  first  appraisement 
stand  as  it  is.  The  question  is,  whether  you  know  of  any  one 
who  is  willing  to  pay  so  large  a  sum  in  cash." 

The  jeweller  reflected  a  moment.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I 
know  an  opportunity  to  dispose  of  them  immediately.  If 
your  majesty  permits  me  to  do  so,  I  will  purchase  them  my- 
self. The  Emperor  Alexander  of  Russia,  during  his  late 
sojourn  at  this  place,  gave  me  a  large  order  in  reference  to  a 
wedding-gift  for  the  betrothed  of  the  Grand-duke  Constan- 
tino. I  have  received  bills  of  exchange,  drawn  on  the 
wealthiest  banking-houses  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  emperor 
has  authorized  me  to  send  in  at  once  precious  stones  to  the 
amount  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  I  am  able  to  pay  you  half 


324  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  appraised  value  to-day,  and  for  the  other  half  I  will  give 
you  bills,  drawn  on  St.  Petersburg  bankers,  payable  in  two 
weeks.  But  I  repeat  to  your  majesty  that  I  have  appraised 
the  stones  at  a  very  low  rate,  and  that  I  shall  make  large 
profits,  and  realize  at  least  four  thousand  dollars.  Your  maj- 
esty ought  to  permit  me  to  add  the  value  of  the  setting." 

"  I  told  you  already  that  we  ought  not  to  add  any  thing  to 
the  first  appraisement.  Well,  the  bargain  is  made,"  said  the 
queen,  gently.  "Bring  me  the  money  and  the  bills  of  ex- 
change, and  you  may  then  take  the  jewelry.  Let  us  say  I 
have  intrusted  it  to  you  to  make  some  alterations  in  it." 

An  hour  afterward,  the  caskets  disappeared  from  the 
queen's  table;  in  their  place  stood  a  box  filled  with  rolls  of 
gold-pieces,  and  the  bills  of  exchange  lay  at  its  side.  The 
queen,  placing  a  few  of  the  rolls  in  her  desk  and  the  bills  in 
the  box,  hastened  to  write  the  following  letter  to  Baron  von 
Stein : 

"  I  request  you  to  grant  me  the  same  favor  which  the  prince 
obtained  from  you.  I  desire  likewise  to  pay  some  savings  into 
the  state  treasury,  and  send  you,  therefore,  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars  with  this  letter.  Pray  do  not  forget  to  pay,  in 
accordance  with  our  agreement,  the  arrears  of  salaries  due  the 
men  of  science  and  art,  and  the  faithful  old  servants  of  the 
king.  LOUISA." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  queen,  laying  aside  the  pen,  and  looking  up 
with  a  grateful  expression,  "how  many  worthy  men  will  be 
delivered  from  distress  by  this  unexpected  payment!  What 
fervent  prayers  for  their  king  will  ascend  to  heaven !  Merci- 
ful God,  hear  them,  and  let  my  husband  and  children  be 
again  happy;  then  I  shall  have  nothing  more  to  desire  on 
earth!" 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  Prince  William,  accom- 
panied only  by  an  adjutant  and  a  footman,  set  out  for  Paris 
in  order  to  deliver  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon  the  financial 
plan  drawn  up  by  Minister  von  Stein,  and  the  letter  of  Queen 
Louisa,  and  to  try  to  induce  Napoleon  by  verbal  remonstrances 
to  withdraw  his  demands,  and  accept  less  ruinous  conditions. 
Before  entering  his  travelling-coach,  the  prince,  in  his  cab- 
inet, bade  farewell  to  her  whom  he  loved  so  passionately. 
They  remained  long  without  uttering  a  word  or  even  a  sigh. 
The  beautiful  face  of  the  Princess  Marianne  was  pale,  but 
her  tearless  eyes  beamed  with  hope.  "  Go,  my  beloved  hus- 
band," she  said,  disengaging  herself  at  last  from  the  arms  of 


PRINCE  WILLIAM.  325 

the  prince,  "go  and  perform  your  noble  sacrifice!  My  love 
will  accompany  you.  Your  life  is  my  life,  and  your  death 
my  death!  Go!  I  fear  nothing." 

"  But  at  this  solemn  hour  I  must  communicate  a  secret  to 
you,  Marianne,"  said  the  prince,  "and  ask  your  consent  to  a 
resolution  that  I  have  taken.  Should  all  my  efforts  be  of  no 
avail — should  Napoleon  be  induced  neither  by  Stein's  plan 
nor  by  the  queen's  letter,  nor  by  my  own  solicitations,  to  con- 
sent to  the  proposed  mode  of  liquidation,  owing  to  his  belief 
that  he  would  not  have  sufficient  security  for  the  payment  of 
the  contributions,  then,  Marianne,  a  last  remedy  would  re- 
main, and  I  would  assuredly  not  shrink  from  it.  In  that 
case  I  shall  offer  myself  as  a  hostage.  I  shall  tell  him  that 
I  must  remain  his  prisoner,  and  allow  myself  to  be  trans- 
ported to  If,  to  Cayenne,  or  where  he  pleases,  until  the  king 
has  made  all  the  promised  payments.  This  will  prove  to  him 
that  I  myself  feel  convinced  that  these  will  be  made.  He 
may  be  sure  the  king's  brother  will  be  redeemed.  Tell  me 
now,  Marianne,  do  you  approve  my  resolution?" 

The  princess  laid  her  hand  on  the  head  of  her  husband. 
"  You  offer  to  surrender  not  only  yourself  but  both  of  us,"  she 
said.  "  Both  of  us,  William,  for  I  want  to  be  where  you  are. 
I  will  also  share  your  devotion  to  Prussia.  You  may  offer 
both  of  us  as  hostages  to  the  emperor.  I  shall  be  happy  when 
with  you,  whether  in  a  dungeon  or  in  a  palace.  The  love 
uniting  us  will  sustain  us  even  then,  and,  when  our  captivity 
is  over,  we  will  return  happy  to  our  beloved  country.  But 
if  it  be  otherwise — if  circumstances  occur  delaying  the  pay- 
ments, and  calling  down  upon  you  the  wrath  of  the  conqueror 
— if  he  then  desire  to  take  revenge  upon  you — oh,  then,  I 
shall  know  how  to  find  a  way  to  his  heart  so  that  he  will  per- 
mit me  to  die  with  you.  We  are  alone;  our  children  are 
dead,  and,  therefore,  we  are  at  liberty  to  pursue  such  a  course. 
Oh,  William,  then  we  shall  be  happy  forever!  Go,  my  be- 
loved husband!  and  when  the  hour  comes,  call  me  to  your 
side.  Let  us  live,  and,  if  need  be,  die  for  the  fatherland! 
Let  it  be  inscribed  on  our  coffin:  'They  have  done  their 
duty.  The  fatherland  is  content  with  them!'  "  * 

* 

vtev 

Kin,, 

took 

prove  

entreated  him  to  permit  them  to  remain  in  French  captivity  until  tbe  payments 
were  made.  Napoleon  listened  to  him,  and  while  he  was  speaking  tbe  countenance 


326  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

CHAPTEE    XXXVII. 

THE   GENIUS   OP   PRUSSIA. 

THE  queen  was  alone  in  her  room.  She  sat  on  the  sofa, 
and  a  dress  of  heavy  silk,  interwoven  with  flowers,  lay  spread 
out  on  the  table  before  her.  She  turned  over  the  dress,  as  if 
carefully  examining  it.  "  Sure  enough,  there  it  is!"  she  sud- 
denly exclaimed.  "Now,  quick  to  work!"  She  hastened  to 
her  table,  on  which  was  to  be  seen  a  beautiful  silk  embroidery 
just  finished  by  the  queen.  Among  the  threads  she  selected 
one  that  was  of  the  same  color  as  the  dress,  and  hastily 
threaded  her  needle.  "  Now  I  will  finish  my  work  before  any 
one  surprises  me,"  whispered  Louisa.  She  was  so  assiduously 
employed  that  she  did  not  notice  that  the  opposite  door, 
softly  opening,  had  admitted  the  king.  He  stood  still  for  a 
moment  and  looked  at  the  queen.  Advancing,  he  asked, 
frowningly,  "What  are  you  doing,  Louisa?" 

The  queen  uttered  a  cry,  and  a  deep  blush  suffused  her 
cheeks.  Pushing  aside  the  table  and  the  dress,  she  rose  from 
the  sofa  and  went  to  salute  her  husband.  "  Welcome,  dear- 
est!" she  said,  lovingly  clinging  to  him;  "you  knew  that  it 
was  cold  and  lonely  here,  and  you  come  to  gladden  me. 
Thanks,  my  Frederick,  thanks  and  welcome!  I  feel  as 
though  you  were  given  to  me  anew,  and  I  greet  you  every 
morning  as  with  the  young  heart  of  a  bride."  She  laid  her 
beautiful  head  on  his  shoulder,  and  her  delicate  hand  played 
with  his  hair. 

But  the  king  did  not  return  her  caresses,  and  his  eyes, 
which  usually  looked  so  lovingly  at  his  wife,  were  directed  to 
the  dress  on  the  table.  "  You  have  not  yet  replied  to  me, 
Louisa,"  he  exclaimed. 

"Eeplied  to  what?"  she  asked,  raising  her  head  from  his 
shoulder,  and  calmly  looking  at  him. 

"  You  know  it,"  said  the  king — "to  my  question." 

"To  your  question?  And  what  did  you  ask?"  replied  the 
queen.  "  You  asked  me  whether  I  loved  you  and  had  already 

of  the  emperor  gradually  became  milder.  He  approached  the  prince,  embraced 
him  affectionately,  and  exclaimed,  "That  is  very  generous,  but  it  is  impossible. 
Never  would  I  accept  such  a  sacrifice — never  I"  For  the  rest,  the  mission  of  the 
prince  was  an  utter  failure.  Napoleon  referred  him  to  Minister  Champagny,  who, 
by  all  sorts  of  subterfuges,  managed  to  protract  and  finally  to  break  off  the  nego- 
tiations. The  prince  was  detained  several  months  in  Paris,  and  returned,  without 
having  accomplished  any  thing,  to  Konigsberg,  whither  the  royal  family  had  removed 
In  the  mean  time. 


THE  GENIUS  OF  PRUSSIA.  327 

thought  of  you  this  morning.  Yes,  my  king  and  husband, 
you  are  the  object  of  all  my  thoughts,  and  I  think  of  you  with 
every  pulsation  of  my  heart.  And  do  you  know  what  just 
occurred  to  me,  and  what  I  am  going  to  propose  to  you?  It 
is  a  fine  winter-day,  and  the  snow  is  sparkling  in  the  sun. 
We  have  half  an  hour  until  dinner.  Let  us  improve  it  and 
take  a  walk.  Let  us  go  to  our  two  princes,  who  are  skating 
with  their  instructor.  Tell  me,  my  friend,  shall  we  do  so?" 

The  king  shook  his  head  gloomily.  "  You  wish  to  divert 
me  from  my  question,"  he  said,  "  which  proves  that  you  have 
heard  it.  I  will  repeat  it.  What  were  you  doing  with  that 
dress  when  I  entered?" 

The  queen  hung  her  head  in  evident  embarrassment,  and 
her  face  assumed  a  melancholy  air.  "  You  insist  on  a  reply, 
my  husband?"  she  asked.  "I  hoped  you  would  notice  my 
confusion,  and  generously  desist." 

"I  must  know  every  thing  that  happens  to  you,"  said  the 
king;  "I  must  know  the  full  extent  of  our  misfortunes,  that 
I  may  not  be  deceived  by  any  illusions.  Tell  me,  therefore, 
what  were  you  doing?" 

"Well,  then,  my  husband,  I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  queen, 
resolutely.  "  I  like  the  dress,  not  because  it  is  made  of  very 
costly  and  beautiful  materials,  but  you  yourself  selected  it 
for  me.  You  know  that  we  give  a  party  to-morrow  to  cele- 
brate the  birthday  of  the  crown  prince,  and  I  wished  to  wear 
that  dress.  Now,  I  knew  what  no  one  else  knew,  that  the 
last  time  I  wore  it  I  had  torn  it  by  a  nail  in  the  wall,  on 
crossing  the  corridor.  If  I  had  informed  my  maid  of  this 
mishap,  I  should  have  been  unable  to  wear  it  again,  for  cus- 
tom, I  believe,  forbids  queens  to  wear  mended  dresses.  I  was, 
however,  bent  on  saving  it.  For  this  purpose  I  took  it 
stealthily  from  my  wardrobe  to  mend  the  small  hole  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  while  my  lady  of  honor  was  taking  a  ride,  and  my 
maid  was  at  dinner.  I  had  just  finished  when  you  entered, 
and  if  you  had  come  a  few  minutes  later  the  dress  would  have 
disappeared,  and  no  one  would  suspect  to-morrow  that  my 
rich  attire  had  been  mended.  Now,  you  know  my  secret,  and 
I  entreat  you  to  keep  it  and  allude  to  it  no  more.  But  you 
must  also  reply  to  me:  shall  we  take  a  walk?" 

The  king  made  no  answer,  but  gazed  at  her  with  melan- 
choly tenderness.  "You  do  this,  Louisa,  because  you  shrink 
from  the  expense  of  buying  a  new  dress,"  he  said.  "  Oh,  do 
not  deny  it;  do  not  try  to  deceive  me.  I  know  it  to  be  true." 


328  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"And  suppose  it  were  true?"  asked  the  queen,  gently,  draw- 
ing her  head  from  his  hands.  "  Will  you  be  sad  because  I  do 
in  these  times  what  all  our  subjects  are  obliged  to  do — be- 
cause I  try  to  be  a  little  economical?" 

"The  Queen  of  Prussia,  my  consort,"  exclaimed  the  king, 
"is  compelled  to  mend  her  own  dresses!  Is  the  cup  of  dis- 
grace and  humiliation  not  yet  full!" 

"And  why  do  you  speak  of  disgrace?"  asked  the  queen, 
laying  her  hands  on  the  shoulders  of  her  husband,  and  look- 
ing tenderly  in  his  face.  "  Why  do  you  say  I  humble  myself 
by  mending  my  dress?  I  only  followed  the  example  of  your 
noble  ancestor,  Frederick  II.  Did  not  the  great  king  also 
mend  and  patch  his  clothes?  Did  he  not  repair  with  sealing- 
wax  his  scabbard,  because  he  did  not  want  to  buy  a  new  one? 
Well,  I  believe  little  Louisa  will  be  allowed  to  do  as  the  great 
Frederick  did,  and  need  not  be  ashamed  of  it.  On  the  con- 
trary, my  husband,  when  I  sat  there  sewing,  my  heart  was 
glad,  for  the  memories  of  my  early  years  revived  in  my  mind : 
I  saw  myself  at  the  side  of  my  venerable  grandmother,  the 
Landgravine  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  I  lived  again  in  those 
sunny  days  that  I  spent  with  her  in  Hanover.  My  grand- 
mother taught  me  how  to  mend,  and  I  frequently  profited  by 
the  skill  I  had  acquired  with  her.  For  you  married  the 
daughter  of  a  poor  prince,  who  was  not  a  sovereign  at  that 
time,  but  only  a  younger  brother,  and  the  Queen  of  Prussia 
does  not  blush  to  confess  that  when  she  was  yet  a  princess  of 
Mecklenburg,  she  not  only  mended  her  dresses  but  even 
trimmed  her  shoes  with  her  own  hands.  It  is  no  jest,  my 
king  and  husband,  I  really  often  did  so,  and  I  never  felt 
humiliated.  Never  did  I  consider  it  a  disgrace  to  do  some- 
times what  thousands  of  the  most  virtuous  and  amiable  women 
are  always  doing.  When  I  used  to  sew  my  shoes,  I  was  poor, 
for  I  did  not  yet  know  you ;  but  now,  although  I  have  re- 
paired my  dress,  I  am  rich,  for  I  have  you — I  have  my  chil- 
dren— I  am  the  wife  of  a  man  who  suffers  because  he  values 
his  honor  higher  than  worldly  greatness — who  would  perish 
rather  than  break  an  alliance  he  has  sworn  to,  and  refuses  to 
give  his  neck  to  the  tyrant's  yoke.  Oh,  my  husband,  when  I 
look  at  you,  my  soul  is  transported  with  gladness,  and  I  thank 
God  that  I  am  allowed  to  love  you.  Since  you  are  mine  I  feel 
happy,  rich,  and  powerful." 

She  placed  her  beautiful  arms  around  the  king,  who  pressed 
her  against  his  breast.  "  Thanks,  my  Louisa !  thanks  for 


THE  GENIUS  OF  PRUSSIA.  329 

your  joyful  love.  Your  eyes  gladden  my  life,  and  your  voice 
is  the  only  music  that  can  lull  my  grief.  That  is  the  reason 
I  come  to  you  now.  I  seek  here  consolation.in  my  affliction, 
for  when  you  help  me  to  bear  the  burden,  it  is  less  oppressive. 
I  have  received  two  letters  to-day  which  gave  me  pain,  and 
which  I  desire  to  communicate  to  you." 

"  I  shall  be  grateful  to  you,  my  husband,  for  doing  so,"  said 
the  queen.  "  Come,  let  us  sit  down  together,  and  commu- 
nicate the  letters  to  me.  Who  wrote  them?  Whence  did  they 
come?" 

"One  is  from  Konigsberg,  from  our  daughter  Charlotte." 

"From  Charlotte!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  starting.  "Has 
any  thing  happened  to  her?  Has  she  been  taken  ill?" 

"  No,  she  is  well,  and  nothing  has  happened  to  her.  She 
is,  on  the  contrary,  in  excellent  spirits,  and,  like  all  young 
girls,  wishes  to  dress  well.  She  writes  to  me,  asking  me  to 
send  her  money  that  she  may  renew  her  winter  wardrobe. 
Here  is  the  letter." 

The  queen  quickly  glanced  over  it.  "  Oh,  the  dear,  good 
child,"  she  exclaimed,  "how  tenderly  she  loves  us — how 
prettily  and  affectionately  she  gives  expression  to  her  feelings! 
And  yet  she  often  appears  outwardly  cold  and  indifferent. — 
She  resembles  her  noble  father :  she  does  not  wear  her  heart 
on  her  tongue,  but  it  throbs  lovingly  in  her  bosom.  She  is 
seemingly  reserved  and  haughty,  but  she  is  affectionate.  If 
God  permits  her  to  live  I  anticipate  a  brilliant  future  for 
her."  * 

"A  brilliant  future!"  echoed  the  king;  "for  my  daughter 
— for  the  daughter  of  a  king  without  a  kingdom — of  a  man 
who  is  so  poor  as  to  be  unable  to  gratify  her  just  and  modest 
wishes!  She  asks  for  money  to  replenish  her  winter  ward- 
robe. Now,  do  you  know  wlfat  I  have  written  to  her?  I 
have  sent  her  five  dollars,  and  given  her  at  the  same  time  the 
wretched  consolation  to  be  content  with  that  sum,  for  it  was 
all  I  could  spare." 

"  Well,"  said  the  queen,  with  a  gentle  smile,  "  at  all  events, 
five  dollars  will  enable  her  to  buy  a  warm  winter  dress,  and  by 
and  by  our  finances  will  improve." 

"I  do  not  see  any  such  prospect,"  exclaimed  the  king,  ve- 
hemently. "  All  our  resources  are  exhausted  ;  all  the  public 
funds  are  gone,  and  even  your  generosity  will  be  unable  to 

*The  very  words  of  the  queen.— Vide  '  Queen  Louisa."  p.  302.  This  prophecy 
was  fulfilled,  for  the  Princess  Charlotte  afterward  married  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 


330  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

create  new  ones.  My  noble  queen,  in  generous  self-denial, 
sacrifices  her  jewels  in  order  to  gladden  and  comfort  others, 
and  to  lay  her  own  contribution  on  the  altar  of  her  country. 
She  did  not  think  of  herself  in  doing  so." 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  said  the  queen,  smiling,  "  I  did  think  of  my- 
self. I  reserved  five  thousand  dollars,  and  with  that  sum  all 
the  bills  we  owed — all  our  debts  for  the  household,  for  the 
stable,  and  the  servants,  have  been  paid.  But  you  intended 
communicating  two  letters  to  me.  What  about  the  second?" 

"The  second,"  said  the  king,  mournfully,  "is  a  farewell 
from  my  faithful  subjects  in  the  province  of  Mark,  whom, 
alas !  with  a  heavy  heart,  I  have  absolved  from  their  oath  of 
allegiance,  and  ordered  to  serve  another  sovereign,  and  to  obey 
the  new  King  of  Westphalia.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  confess- 
ing it,  Louisa,  I  wept  on  writing  to  them,  and  on  reading 
their  reply.  There  it  is.  Bead  it  aloud.  It  will  do  me  good 
to  hear  again  these  touching  words." 

The  queen  unfolded  the  large  letter,  to  which  several  official 
seals  were  attached,  and  read  in  a  tremulous  voice: 

"  Our  heart  was  rent  when  we  read  your  farewell  letter, 
good  king.  We  cannot  believe  even  now  that  we,  who  always 
loved  you  so  affectionately,  are  to  cease  being  your  subjects. 
As  sure  as  we  live,  it  was  neither  your  fault,  nor  ours,  that 
your  generals  and  ministers  were  too  confused  after  the  defeat 
of  Jena  to  march  the  dispersed  divisions  of  the  army  to  us, 
and  to  lead  them,  united  with  our  whole  people,  into  a  strug- 
gle which,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  would  have  been  suc- 
cessful. We  would  have  willingly  risked  our  lives,  for  you 
must  not  doubt  that  the  blood  of  the  ancient  Cheruscians  is 
still  flowing  in  our  veins;  that  we  are  proud  of  calling  Her- 
mann and  Wittekind  countrymen  of  ours,  and  of  knowing 
that  on  our  soil  was  that  fieid  of  battle  where  our  ancestors 
defeated  their  enemies  in  so  decisive  a  manner  that  they  never 
fought  again.  We  also  would  assuredly  have  saved  the  father- 
land, for  we  have,  we  believe,  marrow  in  bur  bones,  and  re- 
main uncorrupted  by  modern  luxury  and  effeminacy.  But  no 
one  can  escape  the  decrees  of  Providence.  Oh,  farewell,  then, 
our  father  and  king !  Heaven  grant  you  more  faithful  gener- 
als and  more  sagacious  ministers  for  the  remainder  of  your 
states!  You  are  not  omniscient,  and  you  were  sometimes 
obliged  to  follow  them  into  blind  paths.  Unfortunately,  we 
must  also  submit  to  what  cannot  be  helped.  God  help  us! 
We  trust  our  new  sovereign  will  be  a  father  to  us,  and  honor 


THE  GENIUS  OF  PRUSSIA.  331 

and  respect  our  language  and  customs,  our  faith  and  rights, 
as  you  always  did,  dear  and  beloved  king!  Health,  joy,  and 
peace!" 

"  And  you  call  us  poor  and  disgraced  when  such  hearts  are 
throbbing  for  us,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  witli  radiant  eyes. 
"No,  we  are  rich,  for  our  subjects  love  us,  and  even  when 
compelled  to  part  with  you,  they  send  you  their  love-greet- 
ings!" 

"But  I  cannot  reward  their  love;  I  have  no  means  of  show- 
ing how  my  heart  appreciates  it,"  exclaimed  the  king,  mourn- 
fully. "Oh,  Louisa,  I  am  a  poor,  wretched  man;  my  heart 
is  desponding,  and  even  your  cheering  words  are  unable  to 
console  it.  Wherever  I  look,  whatever  plans  I  form,  I  see 
nowhere  a  prospect  of  change  for  the  better.  My  country  is 
occupied  by  hordes  of  foreign  soldiers.  My  subjects,  exposed 
to  the  overbearing  and  avarice  of  the  French,  who  think  they 
are  sovereign  rulers  of  my  states,  are  vainly  praying  to  their 
king  to  come  to  their  assistance.  Their  courage  is  exhausted ; 
their  strength  gone ;  commerce  is  prostrated ;  manufacturers 
and  mechanics  are  idle;  the  farmers  have  no  seed-corn,  nor 
courage  to  cultivate  their  fields,  for  they  know  that  they  will 
be  robbed  of  the  fruits  of  their  labor.  Our  soldiers  walk  about 
with  bowed  heads,  and  scarcely  dare  to  wear  their  uniforms, 
for  they  remind  them  of  Jena  and  Auerstaclt,  of  the  capitula- 
tion of  Prenzlau,  of  the  surrender  of  so  many  fortresses,  and, 
like  myself,  they  wish  they  had  been  buried  on  the  battle-field 
of  Jena.  Want,  misery,  and  suffering  are  everywhere,  and  I 
am  unable  to  help!  I  must  still  permit  the  enemy  to  inun- 
date my  states,  although  it  was  expressly  stipulated  by  the 
treaty  of  Tilsit  that  the  French  army  was  to  evacuate  Prussia 
in  the  course  of  two  months.  I  must  also  permit  the  Em- 
peror Napoleon  (though  after  the  conclusion  of  peace,  and 
contrary  to  the  treaty)  to  take  New  Silesia,  and  add  her  to 
the  kingdom  of  Warsaw;  to  transform  the  two  leagues  of  the 
new  territory  of  Dantzic  into  two  German  miles,  and,  without 
even  asking  my  consent,  to  deprive  me  of  my  property.  But 
I  am  determined  to  suffer  this  injustice  and  humiliation  no 
longer,  and  to  make  the  last  sacrifice." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  my  husband?"  exclaimed  the 
queen,  laying  her  hand  with  an  anxious  gesture  on  the  arm  of 
her  husband.  "What  sacrifice?" 

"Myself!"  said  the  king,  gloomily,  "for  it  is  I  alone  who 
bring  misfortune  on  my  people.  A  sinister  fatality  pursues 


332  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

me,  and  has  pursued  me  from  my  earliest  youth.  Only  one 
star  ever  rose  on  my  troubled  firmament,  and  that  was  you, 
Louisa.  But  it  will  not  set,  even  though  I  carry  out  my  pur- 
pose. In  solitude  and  sorrow  it  will  still  shine  hopefully 
upon  me.  My  childhood  was  wretched,  and  embittered  by 
long-continued  sufferings;  while  I  was  crown  prince,  I  had  to 
submit  to  the  affliction  of  not  possessing  the  heart  of  my 
father,  and  of  being  unable  to  approve  his  actions.  I  was  so 
unfortunate  as  to  be  compelled  to  begin  the  first  day  of  my 
reign  with  a  demonstration  against  his  course  by  having  the 
woman  arrested  whom  he  had  loved  so  long  and  ardently,  and 
to  whom  the  final  wishes  and  thoughts  of  the  dying  sovereign 
had  been  devoted.  It  is  his  spirit,  perhaps,  that  now  brings 
all  these  calamities  upon  me.  But  my  people  shall  not 
suffer ;  I  will  deliver  them  from  the  fatal  influences  attach- 
ing them  to  me,  and  in  order  to  conciliate  my  fate  I  will 
voluntarily  lay  down  my  crown." 

"Never!  my  husband,  never  shall  you  do  so,"  exclaimed 
the  queen  in  great  excitement.  "  Never  shall  my  noble  and 
brave  king  declare  that  his  spirit  is  crushed  and  vanquished. 
Majesty  would  thereby  render  itself  guilty  of  suicide.  For 
majesty,  like  life,  is  a  boon  sent  by  Providence,  and  you  are  no 
more  allowed  to  divest  yourself  of  it  arbitrarily  than  to  put  a 
voluntary  end  to  your  life.  And,  least  of  all,  are  you  per- 
mitted to  do  so  in  times  of  adversity  and  danger,  for  such  a 
course  would  look  like  cowardice  with  which  my  king  and 
husband  assuredly  cannot  be  charged.  Charles  V.  and  Chris- 
tina of  Sweden  were  at  liberty  to  abdicate,  for  when  they  did 
so  they  were  at  the  acme  of  their  power,  and  yet  they  ever 
repented  of  it ;  they  felt  that  all  nations  were  scornfully  ex- 
claiming: 'Behold  the  faithless,  suicidal  servant  of  God! 
Behold  the  stigma  on  that  anointed  brow !  The  crown  sanc- 
tifies the  head  that  wears  it.  But  that  coward  has  dishonored 
himself,  and  the  glory  that  God  gave  him. '  Oh,  my  beloved 
husband,  the  nations  must  never  speak  in  this  manner  of  you; 
the  annals  of  history  must  never  report  that  you  deserted  your 
people  when  they  were  oppressed,  and  that,  in  order  to  obtain 
peace  and  safety  for  yourself,  you  gave  up  your  country,  and 
cast  away  your  crown.  It  is  true,  fortune  is  imposing  grievous 
burdens  on  us;  but  at  such  a  time  it  behooves  a  true  man  to 
meet  adversity  with  a  bold  front." 

"  Ah,  if  I  were  possessed  of  your  unwavering  faith  and 
cheerfulness!"  said  the  king,  profoundly  sighing.  "But  my 


THE  GENIUS  OF  PRUSSIA.  333 

hope  is  gone;  our  misfortunes  have  crushed  out  not  my  cour- 
age but  my  belief  in  a  better  future." 

"  And  yet  they  were  necessary  that  we  might  one  day  obtain 
real  happiness,"  said  Louisa.  "Oh,  I  begin  to  perceive  dis- 
tinctly that  the  events  which  have  afflicted  us  will  redound  to 
our  own  welfare.  Providence  is  evidently  introducing  a  new 
era,  because  the  old  one  has  outlived  itself.  We  fell  asleep 
on  the  laurels  of  Frederick  the  Great,  who  was  the  master- 
spirit of  another  century;  we  did  not  progress  with  the  times, 
and  they  outstripped  us." 

"  There  must  be  many  changes,  I  am  satisfied,  in  our  ad- 
ministration," said  the  king,  thoughtfully.  "  The  army  must 
be  reorganized,  and  those  who  in  the  hour  of  danger  are  cow- 
ards must  be  judged  with  inexorable  severity.  Alas!  all  this 
will  be  in  vain;  I  succeed  in  accomplishing  nothing;  all  my 
measures  turn  out  to  my  detriment,  and  to  the  advantage  of 
our  enemy." 

"It  is  true,"  said  the  queen,  sighing,  "he  has  much  suc- 
cess. Even  our  most  deliberate  plans  are  fruitless.  Though 
the  Russians  and  Prussians  fight  like  lions,  and  are  not  de- 
feated, they  are  obliged  to  evacuate  the  field  of  battle,  and 
the  French  emperor  claims  a  victory.  Nevertheless,  it  would 
be  blasphemous  to  say  that  God  was  on  his  side;  he  is  an  in- 
strument of  Providence  in  order  to  bury  that  in  which  life  is 
extinct,  but  which  still  clings  to  that  destined  to  live.  We 
may  derive  lessons  from  him,  and  what  he  has  accomplished 
ought  not  to  be  lost  to  us.  Oh,  I  firmly  believe  in  Provi- 
dence, and  a  great  moral  system  ruling  the  world.  I  cannot 
see  it,  however,  in  the  brutal  reign  of  force,  and  hence  I  believe 
that  these  times  will  be  succeeded  by  more  prosperous  ones. 
All  good  men  hope  for  them,  and  the  eulogists  of  \{ie  hero  of 
this  day  must  not  mislead  us.  All  that  has  happened  is  not 
the  ultimate  order  of  things;  it  is  a  severe  yet  salutary  prep- 
aration for  a  new  and  better  destiny.  We  must  not  delude 
ourselves,  my  beloved  friend,  with  the  idea  that  this  is  remote; 
in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  we  must  strive  to  reach  it  with 
strength,  courage,  and  cheerfulness.  With  the  merciful  as- 
sistance of  Providence,  we  must  continue  to  battle  for  our 
honor  and  our  rights!" 

"  Yes,  be  it  so!"  exclaimed  the  king,  "  God  is  with  me,  for 
He  has  placed  you  at  my  side;  He  has  given  me  an  angel  who 
fills  my  heart  with  that  courage  which  is  based  on  faith  in 
Him.  Oh,  forgive  my  timidity  and  despondency;  I  pledge 
O — MUHLBACH  VOL.  10 


334  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

you  my  word  I  will  meet  the  future  with  a  strong  heart. 
Only  remain  with  me,  my  dearest  Louisa;  look  at  me  with 
your  cheering  eyes,  and  inspire  my  heart  with  hope.  When- 
ever I  falter,  remind  me  of  this  hour  in  which  I  vowed  to  you 
to  struggle  to  the  last." 

"Thanks,  my  king  and  husband!"  exclaimed  the  queen; 
"  whatever  may  happen,  let  us  meet  it,  united  in  love,  hope, 
and  faith  in  God!" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  king;  "  adversity  itself  is  not  devoid  of  ex- 
alted moments,  and  you,  my  Louisa,  have  become  dearer  to  me 
in  these  days.  I  know  now  by  experience  what  a  treasure  you 
are  to  me.  Let  the  storm  rage  outside,  if  all  is  calm  within." 

"  It  is  my  pride  and  happiness  to  possess  the  love  of  the 
best  of  men,"  said  the  queen;  "and  though  we  leave  no  in- 
heritance to  our  children,  we  shall  leave  them  at  least  the  ex- 
ample of  our  wedded  life ;  let  them  learn  from  it  to  be  happy 
in  themselves." 

"Madame  la  Heine  est  servie !"  shouted  a  merry  voice  be- 
hind them;  and  when  the  queen  turned,  she  saw  her  son, 
Crown- Prince  Frederick  William,  who  approached  her  with 
rosy  cheeks  and  laughing  eyes.  "  Pardon  me,  dearest  parents, 
for  venturing  to  enter  the  room  without  your  permission,  but 
I  longed  to  salute  you,  and  therefore  assumed  the  duty  of  the 
steward,  who  was  about  to  announce  that  dinner  is  ready." 

"  And  I  suppose  my  son  found  this  announcement  exceed- 
ingly interesting,  and  longed  just  as  much  for  his  dinner  as 
for  his  parents,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  smiling  and  looking 
with  beaming  eyes  at  her  favorite  son. 

"  Oh,  no,  no,"  said  the  crown  prince,  laughing,  "  I  thought 
first  of  my  beloved  parents,  but  then — yes,  I  confess  the  idea 
of  getting  my  dinner  is  very  agreeable,  considering  that  I 
have  been  on  the  ice  for  several  hours." 

"Well,  my  husband,"  asked  the  queen,  merrily,  "shall  we 
comply  with  the  wishes  of  the  young  epicure?  Shall  we  per- 
mit him  to  conduct  us  to  the  dining-room?" 

"Yes,  certainly,"  said  the  king,  offering  his  arm  to  his 
wife.  "  Lead  the  way,  M.  Steward !"  The  crown  prince  as- 
sumed a  grave  air,  and,  after  bowing  to  his  parents  in  the 
reverential  manner  of  a  royal  steward,  he  preceded  them  with 
ludicrous  strides,  and  commenced  singing  in  a  ringing  voice: 
"  Immer  langsam  varan,  dass  die  oesterreichsche  landivehr  nach- 
kommen  kann."  * 

*  "Always  slowly  forward,  that  the  Austrian  landwehr  may  be  able  to  follow  "— 
a  well-known  humorous  song,  ridiculing  the  slowness  of  the  Austrian  militia. 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  335 

The  king  laughed  more  heartily  than  he  hud  done  for  many 
weeks,  while  the  queen  looked  lovingly  at  her  son  who  had 
performed  this  miracle. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

A   FAMILY    DINNER. 

IN  the  dining-room  was  William,  the  younger  prince,  who 
hastened  to  his  parents,  and  returned  the  tender  salutation 
of  his  beautiful  mother  by  covering  her  hand  with  kisses. 
There  were  no  guests  at  the  royal  table ;  the  king  preferred  to 
dine  en  famille,  and  for  several  days  the  queen  hud  ordered 
the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  court  to  dine  by  themselves, 
and  only  with  the  royal  family  when  company  was  not  dis- 
tasteful to  her  husband.  The  king  looked  with  a  smile  of 
content  at  the  small  table,  on  which  he  noticed  only  four 
covers,  and,  conducting  his  wife  to  her  seat,  he  said,  with  a 
grateful  glance,  "  You  have  anticipated  my  most  secret  wishes, 
Louisa;  I  like,  above  all,  to  dine  alone  with  my  family. 
Guests  and  strange  faces  always  bring  etiquette  with  them, 
and  that  renders  our  repasts  formal  and  unpleasant.  Thanks, 
Louisa!" 

It  was  a  very  frugal  meal,  hardly  suitable  to  a  royal  dinner- 
table.  Frederick  William  and  the  queen,  however,  contentedly 
partook  of  the  plain,  wholesome  food;  and,  gayly  chatting, 
they  did  not  seem  to  notice  that  the  dinner  was  served  up  in 
common  china  dishes,  and  that  the  plates  before  them  were  of 
the  same  cheap  material.  Prince  William  ute  witli  the  ap- 
petite of  a  healthy  little  boy;  the  crown  prince,  however,  who 
was  twelve  years  old,  did  not  seem  to  relish  his  food.  He  had 
disposed  of  his  soup,  although  he  thought  it  weak  and  not 
well  flavored,  supposing  the  other  courses  would  be  more  to 
his  taste.  But  when  it  was  succeeded  by  roast  meat  and  cab- 
bage, he  made  a  wry  face,  and  handled  his  fork  very  daintily. 

"  I  suppose  you  do  not  like  cabbage?"  asked  the  king,  who 
had  noticed  the  reluctant  appetite  of  the  crown  prince. 

"No,  your  majesty,"  said  the  prince,  smiling,  "  there  are 
dishes  that  I  like  better,  although  I  know  it  to  be  a  very  re- 
spectable one,  with  which  the  French  just  now  are  made 
acquainted.  I  will  leave  the  shucrout*  to  them,  and  console 

*  French  pronunciation  of  sour-crout 


336  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

myself  in  the  mean  time  with  thinking  of  two  things — of  the 
entremets  now,  and  of  my  birthday  to-morrow." 

"  I  suppose  you  entertain  a  good  many  wishes  in  regard  to 
your  birthday?"  asked  the  king,  putting  more  cabbage  on  his 
own  plate.  "  Tell  me,  Fred,  what  is  it  you  wish?" 

"  Above  all,  that  my  gracious  father  and  my  dear  mother  may 
continue  to  love  me,"  said  the  crown  prince,  glancing  at  the 
queen,  who  nodded  to  him.  "  But,  besides,  I  have  a  few 
other  wishes.  In  the  first  place,  I  would  like  to  have  a  nice 
horse  with  handsome  new  saddle  and  bridle,  and  I  would  like 
to  be  allowed  to  take  frequent  rides  with  my  parents,  but 
always  at  a  gallop — at  a  full  gallop!" 

"  But,  Fred,  that  would  be  bad  for  you,  considering  that  you 
are  not  yet  a  skilful  horseman,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  laughing. 

"Well,  then,"  said  the  prince,  gravely,  "  I  wish  for  another 
birthday  present,  that  I  may  become  a  skilful  horseman  with- 
out learning,  for  that  is  a  very  unpleasant  and  slow  affair,  as 
I  found  it  out  again  to-day,  when,  in  skating,  I  wanted  to 
imitate  my  teacher  in  describing  a  circle  on  the  ice,  and  only 
succeeded  in  falling  on  my  nose !" 

"Every  thing  in  the  world  has  to  be  learned,"  said  the 
king,  "  and  although  you  may  at  first  fall,  you  learn  thereby 
to  stand  the  firmer  afterward,  and  to  keep  your  head  erect. 
But  have  you  told  us  all  your  birthday  wishes,  or  are  there 
any  more?" 

"  Oh,  there  are  a  great  many  yet,  your  majesty,"  exclaimed 
the  prince,  laughing.  "If  I  could  sow  all  my  great  and 
small  wishes,  like  the  dragon's  teeth  of  Cadmus,  I  would  be 
at  the  head  of  a  very  pretty  regiment  of  soldiers  to-morrow." 

"  It  is  strange  how  many  desires  young  folks  have  now- 
adays," said  the  king,  thoughtfully.  "  That  boy,  although  he 
is  but  twelve  years  old,  wishes  to  have  a  saddle-horse  as  a 
birthday  present,  and  in  times  so  hard  as  these!  When  I  was 
as  old  as  you,  there  were  golden  times  in  Prussia,  and  yet  I  did 
not  receive  many  presents  on  my  birthday.  Sometimes  I  had 
to  be  content  with  nothing  but  a  small  flower-pot,  worth  a  few 
shillings,  and  if  my  instructor  wished  to  be  particularly  kind 
to  me  he  took  me  to  a  public  garden,  and  treated  me  to  one, 
or,  at  the  best,  two  silver  groschens'  worth  of  cherries." 

"Oh, "said  the  queen,  with  tearful  eyes,  "it  makes  my 
heart  ache  when  I  think  of  the  cheerless  youth  of  your  good 
and  noble  father,  and  of  the  sufferings  he  had  to  undergo 
under  his  harsh  instructor." 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  337 

"  It  is  true,  Counsellor  Benisch  was  a  rigorous  and  harsh 
man,"  said  the  king;  "he  treated  me  very  roughly,  often 
wreaked  his  ill-humor  upon  me,  and  thought  he  ought  to  rob 
me  entirely  of  my  youthful  pleasures.  lie  did  not  do  so  be- 
cause he  was  a  bad  mail,  but  because  he  believed  it  to  be  the 
best  system  of  education.  And  then  it  produced  good  fruits. 
I  learned  early  to  bear  disagreeable  things,  and  uncomplain- 
ingly to  do  without  agreeable  ones;  thus  I  succeeded  in  sub- 
mitting to  a  great  deal  that  seemed  intolerably  burdensome  to 
others.  When  I  was  a  boy,  it  was  a  holiday  for  me,  for  in- 
stance, when  the  entremets  at  dinner  consisted  of  omelet, 
while  I  see  that  our  Prince  Fred  is  no  better  satisfied  with 
that  than  with  the  cabbage." 

"Your  majesty  is  right;  I  do  not  like  either,"  said  the 
crown  prince,  "and  it  was  in  vain  that  I  consoled  myself  with 
the  hope  that  there  was  something  more  to  my  taste." 

"  What?"  exclaimed  the  queen,  smiling.  "  You  do  not  like 
omelet?  If  you  are  a  true  son  of  mine,  it  must  become  a  fa- 
vorite dish,  for  when  I  was  your  age,  I  greatly  liked  it;  and  if 
you  will  now  eat  a  good  plate  of  it,  I  will  tell  you  a  story 
about  omelet  and  salad." 

"Oh,  mamma,  just  see,  I  have  liberally  supplied  my  plate; 
I  am,  therefore,  entitled  to  the  story,"  exclaimed  the  crown 
prince. 

"I  will  tell  the  story  if  the  king  will  permit  me,"  said  tlio 
queen,  looking  at  her  husband. 

"The  king  requests  you  to  do  so,"  said  Frederick  William, 
nodding  pleasantly.  "I  wish  to  hear  your  story,  Louisa;  you 
always  know  new  and  very  pretty  ones;  your  memory  is  really 
a  little  treasury!" 

"It  is  not  a  very  interesting  story,  after  all,"  said  the 
queen,  thoughtfully,  "except  to  myself  as  a  youthful  reminis- 
cence.— I  had  gone  with  my  father  and  my  brother  George  to 
Frankfort-on-the-Maiu  to  witness  the  coronation  of  the  Em- 
peror Leopold.  I  remember  but  little  of  the  festivities,  for 
at  that  time  I  was  only  fourteen  years  old,  and  the  pompous 
ceremonies,  together  with  the  deafening  shouts  of  the  popu- 
lace (who  cheered  the  roast  ox,  larded  with  rabbits,  no  less 
enthusiastically  than  the  German  emperor),  were  indescrib- 
ably tedious  to  me." 

"Dear  mamma,"  exclaimed  the  crown  prince,  "possibly  the 
people  may  have  taken  the  roast  ox  for  the  German  emperor." 

"Possibly  my  witty  son  may  be  right,"  said   the  queen, 


338  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  and  the  people  may  have  rejoiced  in  so  boisterous  a  manner 
because  they  were  better  pleased  with  the  roast  ox  than  with 
the  emperor  himself.  The  ceremonies  lasted  too  long  for  me, 
and  as  all  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  emperor,  and  no  one  paid  any 
attention  to  the  daughter  of  a  younger  son  of  Mecklenburg,  I 
softly  slipped  from  the  gallery  of  the  princes,  beckoned  to  my 
sister  Frederica,  and,  followed  by  our  governess,  dear  Madame 
Gelieux,  we  left  the  Eoemer,  and  entered  our  carriage,  which 
made  but  slow  headway  through  the  dense  crowd,  but  finally 
conveyed  us  to  a  more  quiet  street.  We  intended  to  do  hom- 
age to  some  one  else — to  pay  our  respects  to  the  king  of  litera- 
ture. We  desired  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  place  where 
the  greatest  poet  of  Germany  was  born,  and  visit  the  dear  lady 
his  mother,  Mde.  Counsellor  Goethe. 

"  Our  heart  was  transported  with  gladness  when  the  carriage 
halted  in  front  of  the  door,  and  a  handsome  face,  with  dark, 
brilliant  eyes,  appeared  at  the  window,  and  nodded  to  us  very 
cordially.  We  were  old  friends  and  acquaintances,  and, 
therefore,  did  not  beg  leave  to  enter,  but  hastened  directly 
into  the  sitting-room.  Madame  Goethe  met  us  with  a  kind 
salutation,  and  made  a  sign  to  the  servant-girl  to  remove  the 
table  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  But  we  saw  that 
the  dish  was  still  filled,  and  that  Madame  Goethe,  after  re- 
turning from  the  coronation,  was  about  to  take  dinner. 

"'Madame  Goethe,'  we  exclaimed,  'if  you  do  not  have  your 
dinner  immediately  served  up,  we  shall  leave  at  once,  and  will 
never  believe  again  that  you  are  our  friend,  and  that  we  are 
your  children,  as  you  always  call  us.  If  you  will  eat,  and 
permit  us  to  be  present,  we  will  remain ;  but  if  you  persist  in 
receiving  us  ceremoniously  as  princesses,  and  in  having  the 
dinner  removed,  we  must  go.'  'Good  heavens,'  exclaimed 
the  good  lady,  in  surprise,  'I  will  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the 
little  princesses,  and  eat  if  they  insist  on  it.  I  am  only 
ashamed  of  my  dinner  to-day,  for  I  have  permitted  the  cook 
to  go  to  the  coronation,  and  she  has  not  yet  returned.  The 
chambermaid,  therefore,  prepared  some  food  for  me;  it  is  so 
plain,  however,  that  I  cannot  invite  you  to  partake  of  it. ' — 
'Oh,  we  do  not  want  to  eat,  but  only  to  sit  with  you,'  ex- 
claimed Frederica  and  I ;  we  then  took  the  arms  of  the  old 
lady  and  conducted  her  to  the  table.  She  sighed,  but  yielded 
to  our  solicitations.  We  sat  down  opposite  her,  and  Madame 
Gelieux  took  a  seat  close  to  us  in  the  window-niche.  Madame 
Goethe  quickly  ate  her  soup,  and  rang  the  bell  for  the  servant 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  339 

to  bring  the  second  course.  When  she  appeared  and  placed 
two  dishes  on  the  table,  madame  became  greatly  embarrassed. 
'That  is  a  dinner,'  she  said,  'that  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
showing  its  mean  face  in  the  presence  of  two  little  princesses 
so  beautiful,  and  dressed  in  brocade!  Why,  it  is  nothing  but 
an  omelet  and  a  salad. '  And  she  then  cut  off  a  small  piece 
of  the  omelet  and  put  it  among  the  green  leaves  of  the  salad. 
We  looked  on,  and  the  dish  seemed  by  far  more  desirable  to 
us  than  the  imperial  ox.  In  spite  of  our  brocade  dresses, 
we  were  not  at  all  ashamed  of  having  a  strong  appetite.  I 
looked  at  my  sister  Frederica,  and  she  looked  at  me,  and 
then  both  of  us  looked  at  the  omelet,  and  at  our  governess. 
Finally,  I  was  unable  to  resist  the  temptation  any  longer, 
and  said,  timidly,  'Madame  Goethe,  pray  let  me  also  have 
a  little.'  'Ah,  yes,  dear  madame,'  said  my  sister,  'give  us 
some. ' " 

The  two  princesses  interrupted  the  queen's  narrative  by 
loud  laughter,  and  the  king  himself  joined  gayly  in  it. 

"That  was  right,  mamma,"  exclaimed  the  crown  prince. 
"  Your  story  has  given  me  an  excellent  appetite  for  omelet, 
and  I  have  eaten  all  on  my  plate." 

"That  is  just  what  I  intended,"  said  the  queen,  smiling. 

"But  what  is  the  end  of  the  story?"  asked  the  crown 
prince.  "Did  Madame  Goethe  give  you  some?  I  hope  she 
complied  with  the  request  of  the  Queen  of  Prussia." 

"  I  was  not  yet  Queen  of  Prussia,  my  son,"  said  Louisa,  with 
a  slight  expression  of  melancholy ;  "  but  even  queens  beg 
sometimes  in  vain.  Then,  however,  I  did  not.  The  kind 
old  lady  cheerfully  consented,  and  it  was  of  no  avail  that 
Madame  Gelieux  admonished  us  not  to  deprive  Madame 
Goethe  of  her  dinner,  and  not  to  eat  at  so  unusual  an  hour. 
We  moved  our  chairs  to  the  table;  Madame  Goethe  laid  two 
covers  for  us,  and,  notwithstanding  the  brocade  dresses,  and 
the  coronation  of  the  emperor,  the  two  princesses  of  Mecklen- 
burg commenced  partaking  of  the  omelet  and  salad  with  the 
strong  appetite  of  peasant  girls.  Madame  Goethe  looked  at 
us  with  a  smile;  our  governess,  however,  frowningly.  But 
only  after  eating  all  before  us  did  we  look  up  and  see  the 
kind  countenance  of  Madame  Goethe,  and  the  angry  air  of 
Madame  Gelieux.  The  dish  had  greatly  increased  our  cour- 
age; instead  of  being  afraid  of  the  governess,  we  only  looked 
at  the  face  of  the  dear  old  lady,  and  when  she  said,  'Now  I 
wish  I  had  some  good  dessert  for  my  two  little  princesses,'  I 


34:0  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

exclaimed  quickly,  'I  know  something  that  I  would  like  to 
have  for  dessert!' 

"'I  know  it  also!'  exclaimed  sister  Frederica,  'we  have 
already  been  wishing  for  it  for  a  whole  week.'  'Well,  what 
is  it?'  asked  Madame  Goethe.  'Tell  me  what  you  wish,  and 
I  pledge  you  my  word  your  wish  shall  be  fulfilled,  if  it  is  at 
all  in  my  power.'  'Dear  Madame  Goethe,'  I  exclaimed,  im- 
ploringly, 'a  week  ago  we  saw  your  servant-girl  pumping  water 
at  the  well,  and  we  have  ever  since  been  longing  to  pump 
water  just  once!'  'Yes,  to  pump  water  just  once,  but  to  our 
heart's  content,'  begged  sister  Frederica.  'You  shall  do  so!' 
exclaimed  Madame  Goethe,  laughing  merrily,  'come,  we  will 
go  to  the  well  in  the  yard;  there  you  may  pump.'  'No,  mes- 
dames,  that  is  impossible,'  exclaimed  the  governess,  approach- 
ing in  her  dignity,  and  placing  herself  with  outspread  arms 
in  front  of  the  door,  'never  shall  I  consent  to  so  unseemly 
a  proceeding.'  'Unseemly!'  exclaimed  Madame  Goethe,  in- 
dignantly. 'Why  should  it  be  unseemly  for  the  dear  little 
princesses  to  move  their  arms  like  other  children,  and  to  draw 
up  the  fresh  spring-water?  It  is  an  innocent  pleasure,  and 
they  shall  have  it  as  sure  as  I  am  Goethe's  mother.  Come,  I 
will  conduct  you  to  the  well. '  And  she  walked  proudly  across 
the  room  to  the  small  door  opposite.  We  accompanied  her, 
and  slipped  out,  Madame  Goethe  following  us.  WThen  Gelieux 
exclaimed  she  would  never  permit  us  to  pump  water,  and 
would,  if  need  be,  use  force  to  prevent  us  from  doing  so,  Ma- 
dame Goethe  shouted  angrily:  'I  should  like  to  see  the  person 
that  would  deprive  the  little  princesses  of  such  a  pleasure, 
which  they  can  enjoy  only  at  my  house!'  And  just  as  the 
governess  had  reached  the  door,  Madame  Goethe  closed  and 
bolted  it.  And  we,  naughty  children,  went  to  the  well  and 
pumped  water  until  our  arms  were  quite  weak  and  tired. 
That  is  my  story  of  the  omelet  and  salad,  and  the  pumping 
for  dessert,"  said  the  queen,  concluding  her  narrative,  and 
bowing  with  a  sweet  smile  to  her  husband. 

The  king  nodded  pleasantly  to  her.  "  I  would  I  were  a 
painter!"  he  said;  "I  should  paint  the  scene  where  both  of 
you  are  sitting  at  the  round  table  and  eating,  while  Madame 
Goethe  is  looking  kindly  on,  and  your  governess  with  an 
angry  frown.  It  would  be  a  pretty  picture,  I  should  think." 

"  And  I,  although  no  painter,  will  draw  the  other  picture," 
exclaimed  the  crown  prince;  "oh,  I  see  it  distinctly  before 
me.  A  fine  old  tree  in  a  large  yard ;  under  the  tree  a  well, 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  341 

and  the  two  princesses  pumping.  Madame  Goethe  in  her  old- 
fashioned  dress,  and  at  the  open  window  of  the  side-building 
the  angry  face  of  the  governess.  Oh,  as  his  majesty  says,  it 
will  certainly  be  a  pretty  picture,  and  if  my  mother  will 
graciously  permit,  I  shall  present  it  to  her  as  a  proof  of  my 
gratitude  for  her  beautiful  story." 

"Dear,  dear  mamma,"  exclaimed  Prince  William,  "if  you 
know  another  story  about  an  omelet,  pray  tell  it  to  us,  and  I 
will  then  also  try  to  paint  the  scene  for  you  like  Fred." 

"See,  Louisa,  what  you  have  done,"  said  the  king,  laugh- 
ing. "  They  are  anxious  to  hear  your  stories,  and  will,  per- 
haps, become  great  painters,  if  you  tell  them  more  about 
omelets." 

"That  will  unfortunately  not  happen,  my  husband,"  said 
the  queen,  smiling,  "  for  I  do  not  know  any  other  stories.  It 
is  true,"  she  added,  musingly,  "I  remember  another  omelet 
that  caused  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure." 

"  Where  was  it,  dearest,  dearest  mamma?  Oh,  pray  tell  us," 
exclaimed  the  crown  prince. 

"  Pray  tell  us,  mamma,"  begged  little  Prince  William;  "  be 
so  gracious  as  to  tell  us  a  story  for  my  picture!" 

Louisa  looked  at  her  husband.  The  king  nodded.  "  Your 
last  story  was  so  appetizing,"  he  said,  gayly,  "  that  I  am  quite 
ready  to  have  another." 

"  I  ate  this  second  omelet  during  our  journey  to  East  Prus- 
sia, where  the  estates  of  the  province  were  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance.  Oh,  my  beloved  children,  that  was  a  splendid 
journey.  The  whole  world  was  spread  out  before  me  like  a 
bright  summer  day;  everywhere  I  heard  nothing  but  greet- 
ings of  love.  Everywhere  addresses  and  banquets !  festoons, 
pealing  bells,  children  and  young  ladies  strewing  flowers! 
And  our  good  people  did  not  receive  us  in  so  festive  a  manner 
through  compulsion,  or  in  accordance  with  an  old  custom,  but 
because  their  hearts  impelled  them ;  for  they  had  already  per- 
ceived that  the  young  king,  your  noble  father,  would  also  be 
their  benefactor;  they  loved  and  worshipped  their  king,  and, 
in  their  kindness,  transferred  part  of  their  love  and  veneration 
to  .myself.  We  had  already  passed  through  Stargard;  the 
king  had  preceded  me  to  Coeslin,  and  I  was  following  him. 
At  noon  I  arrived  in  a  large  village  at  no  great  distance  from 
Coeslin.  All  the  peasants  and  peasant-women  came  to  meet 
me,  dressed  in  their  holiday  attire,  and  the  supervisor  of  the 
village,  to  whose  hat  a  large  bouquet  had  been  fastened, 


342  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

stepped  up  to  the  carriage  to  deliver  an  address  to  me.  It 
contained  but  a  few  artless  words;  the  kind-hearted  man 
begged  me,  in  the  name  of  the  people,  to  do  their  village  the 
honor  to  alight,  and  partake  of  some  refreshment,  for  they 
desired  to  entertain  the  "mother  of  the  country,"  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  cities  might  not  deem  this  an  exclusive 
privilege.  You  may  imagine  that  I  allowed  the  gentleman  to 
conduct  me  to  the  farm-house  where  the  entertainment  had 
been  prepared.  The  cloth  was  laid  on  a  round  table  in  the 
small  sitting-room,  and  a  huge  omelet  lay  in  a  large  pewter 
dish.  I  laughed,  and,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  peasants 
looking  through  the  open  windows  into  the  room,  ate  a  large 
piece,  while  the  girls  outside  sang  with  the  voices  of  larks." 

"And  the  omelet  constituted  the  whole  entertainment?" 
asked  the  crown  prince,  laughing. 

"  Oh,  no,  my  little  epicure ;  there  was  also  a  dessert :  bread, 
and  fresh  butter  wrapped  in  green  leaves,  and  more  fragrant 
than  we  ever  have  it." 

"  That  is  a  good  dessert,"  exclaimed  the  prince.  "  It  seems 
to  me  the  entertainment  was  not  so  bad,  and — •" 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened.  High-Chamberlain  von 
Schladen  entered  and  approached  the  king.  "Pardon  me, 
sire,  for  venturing  to  disturb  you,"  he  said.  "  A  peasant  and 
a  peasant- woman  have  just  arrived.  They  ask  urgently  and 
imploringly  to  see  your  majesty;  and,  on  being  told  that  you 
were  at  dinner,  the  woman  insisted  only  the  more  to  be  at 
once  admitted  to  her  majesty,  for  she  had  brought  her  some- 
thing necessary  to  a  good  dinner.  I  confess,  the  bearing  of 
these  persons  is  so  simple  and  kind-hearted  that  I  ventured  to 
disturb  you,  even  at  the  risk  of  being  rebuked  for  it." 

"Where  do  they  come  from?"  asked  the  king,  musingly. 

"  From  the  lowlands  of  the  Vistula,  near  Culm,  sire,  and  it 
seems  to  me  they  belong  to  the  sect  of  the  Mennonites,  for 
they  never  take  off  their  hats,  and  address  everybody  with 
'thee. ' — These  patriotic  persons  have  performed  their  journey 
on  foot,  and  say  that  their  eyes  have  known  no  slumber,  and 
their  feet  no  rest,  since  they  left  their  village  in  order  to  see 
the  king  and  queen." 

"  Oh,  my  husband,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  "  pray  do  not 
make  them  wait  any  longer.  They  come  hither  to  manifest 
their  love  for  us,  and  love  must  never  be  kept  waiting  in  the 
anteroom." 

"  That  is  not  my  intention,"  said  the  king,  smiling.     "  We 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  343 

will  admit  them  at  once.  Come,  Lonsia,  let  ITS  go  to  your 
sitting-room,  and  M.  vou  Schludeu  will  be  so  kind  us  to  con- 
duct them  thither."  He  offered  his  arm  to  Louisa,  she 
wrapped  herself  more  closely  in  the  Turkish  shawl  that 
covered  her  shoulders,  and,  taking  leave  of  the  two  princes 
with  a  tender  smile,  repaired  with  the  king  to  her  own 
room. 

A  few  minutes  afterward  the  door  opened,  and  M.  vou 
Schladen  ushered  in  Abraham  Nickel  and  his  Avife.  The 
queen  sat  on  a  sofa;  and  the  king,  supporting  his  hand  on  the 
back  of  it,  stood  by  her  side.  Both  of  them  saluted  the  peas- 
ants, who  approached  slowly,  and  who,  in  their  simple,  neat 
costume,  with  their  pleasant,  healthy  faces,  which  betrayed 
no  embarrassment  whatever,  made  a  very  agreeable  impres- 
sion. The  woman  carried  on  her  arm  a  basket  carefully 
covered  with  green  leaves.  The  man  held  in  his  right  hand 
a  small  gray  bag,  which  seemed  to  be  heavy.  Both  saluted 
the  royal  couple  very  reverentially — the  woman  making  a  deep 
courtesy,  and  the  man  bowing,  without,  however,  taking  off 
his  broad-brimmed  hat. 

"I  suppose  thee  to  be  the  king,  our  good  sovereign,"  said 
the  peasant,  fixing  his  fine  lustrous  eyes  on  the  king's  coun- 
tenance. 

"I  am  the  king,"  said  Frederick  William,  kindly. 

"And  I  see  by  thy  beautiful  face,"  exclaimed  the  woman, 
pointing  with  her  hand  at  Louisa,  "  thee  is  the  queen,  the 
dear  mother  of  our  country — Louisa,  whom  all  love — for 
whom  we  are  always  praying,  and  whom  we  are  teaching  our 
children  to  love  and  pray  for." 

"I  thank  you,  kind  folks,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  feelingly, 
"I  thank  you.  Yes,  pray  for  me,  and  above  all,  pray  for 
Prussia;  pray  that  she  may  be  saved  and  protected,  for  when 
Prussia  is  happy  I  am." 

"  Prussia  will  be  happy  again,  and  the  Lord  will  not  for- 
sake her!"  exclaimed  the  woman.  "All  of  us  hope  for  it, 
and  we  wandered  hither  to  bring  to  our  beloved  king  and 
queen  the  greetings  of  their  faithful  subjects  in  the  lowlands 
of  Culm,  and  to  tell  their  majesties  that  we  are  praying  day 
and  night  that  God  may  drive  the  French  from  the  country, 
and  render  our  king  and  queen  again  powerful.  But  with 
your  leave  we  should  like  to  give  you  a  small  proof  of  our  re- 
gard in  the  presents  we  have  brought." 

The  king  nodded  his  consent,  while  the  queen  smiled  and 


344  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

said :  "  What  you  give  us  with  loving  hearts  we  will  accept 
with  loving  hearts." 

"What  I  have  brought  is  but  little,"  said  the  woman. 
"  But  I  have  been  told  that  our  gracious  queen  likes  to  eat 
good  fresh  butter,  and  that  the  young  princes  and  princesses 
are  also  fond  of  sandwiches;  now,"  she  added,  removing  the 
leaves  from  the  basket,  "this  butter  is  clean  and  good;  I 
churned  it  myself  in  my  dairy,  and  as  the  article  is  so  very 
scarce  at  present,  I  thought  it  would  be  acceptable,  and  the 
gracious  queen  would  not  spurn  my  humble  gift.  Thee  looks 
so  kind-hearted  and  good,  dear  queen,  and  I  am  glad  to  see 
thee  face  to  face,  and  shall  be  doubly  so  if  thee  will  be  so  kind 
as  to  accept  my  butter." 

"I  accept  it  joyfully,"  exclaimed  the  queen,  taking  the 
basket  which  the  woman  presented  to  her.  "  I  thank  you  for 
your  nice  present,  my  dear  woman,  and  I  myself  will  put 
some  of  it  to-day  on  the  sandwiches  of  my  sons,  who  shall  eat 
them  in  honor  of  good  Mde.  Nickel." 

"  And  now  I  should  like  to  beg  leave  to  present  a  small  gift 
to  the  king,"  said  the  peasant.  "  I — " 

"Ah,  I  guess  what  it  is,"  exclaimed  the  king,  merrily. 
"  You  bring  me  a  fine  cheese  to  be  eaten  with  the  fresh 
butter." 

"  No,  most  gracious  king.  Thy  loyal  Mennonite  subjects  in 
the  province  of  Prussia  have  learned  with  the  most  profound 
grief  how  great  the  distress  is  which  God  has  inflicted  upon 
thee,  thy  house,  and  thy  states.  We  have  learned  that  the 
funds  of  thy  military  chest  are  entirely  exhausted — that  the 
French  have  put  them  into  their  pockets.  All  this  affected 
us  most  painfully,  and  we  thought  thee  might  sometimes  even 
be  out  of  pocket-money.  All  the  men,  women,  and  children 
of  our  community,  therefore,  looked  into  their  saving-boxes, 
and  contributed  joyfully  the  mite  that  is  to  manifest  the  love 
we  entertain  for  our  king.  And  here  is  the  money  we  have 
collected,  good  king,  and  I  would  urgently  entreat  thee  in  the 
name  of  o\\r  community  graciously  to  accept  the  trifle  offered 
thee  by  thy  faithful  Mennonite  subjects,  who  will  never  cease 
to  love  and  pray  for  thee." 

"No,"  exclaimed  the  king,  in  a  tremulous  voice,  his  face 
quivering  with  profound  emotion,  "  no,  I  am  not  poor  so  long 
as  I  have  still  subjects  so  good  and  loyal  as  you  are!"  And 
he  offered  his  hand  with  a  grateful  look. 

The  queen  had    listened  to  these  words  with  increasing 


A  FAMILY  DINNER.  345 

emotion;  her  beautiful  countenance  was  beaming  with  joy; 
her  eyes  were  lifted  to  heaven,  and  her  lips  seemed  to  whisper 
a  prayer  of  gratitude.  AYheu  the  king  cordially  shook  hands 
with  the  Mennouite,  the  queen,  overcome  by  her  feelings, 
burst  into  tears — tears  such  as  she  had  not  shed  for  a  long 
while.  She  took  the  costly  Turkish  shawl  from  her  shoulders 
and  threw  it  around  the  surprised  woman. 

"Keep  it  in  memory  of  this  interview,"  whispered  the 
queen,  in  a  voice  choked  by  tears. 

"  Thee  permits  me,  kind  king,  to  give  thee  our  little  sav- 
ings, and  to  place  them  on  this  table?"  asked  Abraham  Nickel. 

"I  do,"  said  the  king.  The  peasant  stepped  to  the  table. 
After  deliberately  untying  the  string  of  the  gray  linen  bag, 
he  turned  it  upside  down,  and  poured  out  the  contents.  The 
queen  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  the  king  him- 
self was  unable  to  suppress  his  astonishment;  for  gold-piece 
after  gold-piece  rolled  from  the  bag  and  fell  ringing  in  a 
bright  pile  on  the  table.  "  Well,  indeed,"  said  the  king, 
"  my  people  of  the  Vistula  have  good  things  in  their  saving- 
boxes." 

"There  are  three  thousand  louis-d'or,  dear  king,"  said 
Abraham  Nickel.  "Unfortunately,  this  is  all,  although  we 
ardently  desired  to  make  you  a  better  present." 

"Three  thousand  louis-d'or  are  too  much,"  replied  the 
king,  "  and  I  cannot  accept  the  sum  as  a  mere  gift.  Accept 
my  thanks,  and  rest  assured  that  I  shall  ever  gratefully  re- 
member your  kindness.  I  will,  however,  accept  it  as  a  pres- 
ent now,  but  at  a  later  day,  when  times  are  more  prosperous, 
it  must  be  considered  as  a  loan,  which  I  shall  repay  with  in- 
terest. Accept  a  receipt,  my  friend,  and  tell  the  elders  of 
your  community  to  preserve  it  carefully,  that  I  may  redeem 
it."* 

"The  king's  will  be  done,"  said  Nickel.  "If  times  re- 
main as  they  are  now,  thy  receipt,  dear  king,  shall  be  pre- 
served in  our  community  as  a  sacred  token  of  thy  love.  But 
when  affairs  are  better,  then  thee  may  do  as  thee  pleases,  and 
we  will  gladly  permit  our  king  to  fill  again  the  saving-boxes 
of  his  people." 

*  The  kinj?  did  not  forpet  his  promise.  In  1810,  when  the  fatherland  had  boon  de- 
livered, he  reauested  the  authorities  of  Mariemvenler  to  give  him  information  about 
Abraham  Nickel.  It  was  ascertained  that  the  poor  man,  owinj;  to  the  calamities  of 
war,  had  lost  his  whole  property,  his  buildings  having  been  burned  down  by  the 
enemy.  The  kintf  had  them  rebuilt  in  a  much  U-tter  style  than  before,  eave  him 
ample  means  to  start  again,  and  red<>emed  the  due-bill  he  had  Riven  to  the Mennon- 
ites.— Vide  Hippo's  work  on  Frederick  William  III.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  291. 


346  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"There  will  be  better  times  for  Prussia,"  said  the  king, 
solemnly,  "for  I  hope  in  God  and  in  my  countrymen.  I  hope 
that  we  shall  have  strength  to  outlive  these  evil  days,  and  to 
be  worthy  of  the  prosperity  to  come.  Prussia  is  not  lost ;  she 
cannot  be,  for  her  people  and  her  king  are  united  in  love  and 
fealty,  and  that  is  the  source  of  heroic  deeds.  God  save 
Prussia!" 

"God  save  Prussia!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  raising  her  tear- 
ful eyes  and  clasped  hands. 

"God  save  Prussia!"  whispered  the  peasant  and  his  wife, 
bowing  their  heads  in  silent  prayer. 


BOOK  V. 
CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

FRENCH  ERFURT. 

ERFURT  had  undergone  a  great  transformation  in  the 
course  of  a  single  week.  The  quiet  German  fortress,  and  the 
gloomy  streets  and  deserted  public  places,  had  become  a  gay 
capital.  There  were  constantly  seen  crowds  of  French  foot- 
men in  rich  liveries,  high-born  gentlemen  with  their  stars  on 
their  breasts,  and  gaping  idlers  looking  wonderingly  at  the 
change.  But  what  feverish  activity  and  toil  had  been  re- 
quired to  effect  this!  Paris — nay,  all  France,  had  to  contrib- 
ute their  treasures.  Long  lines  of  wagons  had  conveyed  to 
Erfurt  costly  furniture,  covered  with  velvet  and  gilt  orna- 
ments, from  the  imperial  garde-meubles  of  Paris,  magnificent 
porcelain  from  Sevres,  precious  gobelins  and  silks  from  Lyons 
and  Rouen,  rare  wines  from  Bordeaux,  tropic  fruits  from 
Marseilles,  and  truffles  from  Perigord.  Not  only  the  castle, 
but  also  the  prominent  private  residences,  had  been  decorated 
in  the  most  sumptuous  style.  An  army  of  cooks  and  kitchen- 
boys  had  garrisoned  the  basements  and  kitchens  filled  with 
the  delicacies  brought  from  the  principal  cities  of  Europe. 

France  had  adorned  Erfurt  as  a  bride  ready  to  receive  her 
lord,  and  the  German  princes  had  come  as  bridesmen.  Nearly 
every  German  state  had  sent  its  sovereign  or  crown  prince. 
There  were  the  Kings  of  Saxony,  Wiirtemberg,  Bavaria,  and 
Westphalia;  the  Dukes  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Baden,  Weimar, 
Gotha,  Oldenburg,  Schwerin,  and  Strelitz,  and  more  than 
twenty  of  the  petty  sovereigns  in  which  Germany  abounded. 
For  the  first  time  all  seemed  to  be  united,  and  to  have  one 
purpose.  This  was,  to  do  homage  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 

He  intended  to  come  to  Erfurt  to  meet  again  the  friend 
he  had  gained  at  Tilsit,  the  Emperor  Alexander.  Nearly 
eighteen  months  had  passed  since  the  first  meeting  of  the  two 
monarchs.  Since  that  time  the  morning  sky  of  their  friend- 


348  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ship  had  been  overcast.  The  meeting  at  Erfurt  was  to  renew 
their  former  relations.  Both  emperors  felt  that  they  could 
not  do  without  each  other,  and  they  sought  this  meeting  with 
equal  eagerness.  Alexander  desired  to  continue  his  war 
against  Sweden  for  the  possession  of  Finland.  Napoleon  had 
not  yet  been  able  to  bring  the  great  struggle  in  Spain  to  a 
successful  end,  and  had,  therefore,  to  remain  at  peace  with 
the  only  sovereign  whose  power  and  enmity  he  had  still  to 
fear.  Besides,  the  two  emperors  loved  each  other;  they  had 
exchanged  at  Tilsit  ardent  vows.  The  world  was  aware  of 
this,  and  could  not  but  regard  it  as  a  matter  of  course  that 
the  imperial  friends  longed  to  meet  again.  The  auspicious 
period  was  fixed  for  the  27th  of  September,  1808.  The  ap- 
pointed hour  had  struck ;  the  cannon  and  the  pealing  of  bells 
announced  the  advent  of  Napoleon. — All  the  thoroughfares 
and  public  places  were  crowded.  The  people  were  hastening 
with  wild  impetuosity  to  the  streets  through  which  he  was 
to  pass;  the  members  of  the  municipality,  dressed  in  their 
official  robes,  proceeded  to  the  gate  where  they  were  to  wel- 
come him;  the  windows  of  all  the  houses  were  open;  and 
there  appeared  beautiful  women,  adorned  with  flowers  and 
gems,  awaiting  his  approach.  The  imperial  guard  formed  in 
line  to  the  soul-stirring  notes  of  their  band,  and  the  Kings  of 
Saxony  and  Wiirtemberg,  and  the  whole  host  of  German 
princes,  had  assembled  in  the  large  hall  of  the  government 
palace  to  salute  the  emperor. 

A  noise  as  of  distant  thunder  seemed  to  shake  the  air;  it 
drew  nearer  and  nearer.  It  was  the  cheering  of  the  people 
and  the  soldiers,  for  the  emperor  had  now  entered  the  city. 
The  procession  moved  on,  greeted  by  the  bright  eyes  of  the 
ladies,  and  the  shouts  of  the  multitude.  Napoleon,  wearily 
leaning  back  in  the  open  barouche,  drawn  by  six  richly- 
caparisoned  horses,  thanked  the  people  with  an  indifferent 
wave  of  his  hand,  and  saluted  the  ladies  with  a  scarcely  per- 
ceptible nod.  His  countenance  was  immovable,  and  the  pub- 
lic excitement  was  unable  to  betray  him  into  the  faintest  sign 
of  gratification.  The  noisy  welcome  seemed  as  stale  to  him 
as  some  old  song  which  he  had  heard  too  often.  As  his  car- 
riage made  but  slow  headway  through  the  surging  mass,  the 
emperor  started  with  a  movement  of  impatience.  "  For- 
ward!" he  shouted  in  a  loud  voice,  and  the  adjutants,  riding 
on  both  sides,  repeated  to  the  outriders,  "  Forward!  forward!" 
The  carriage  rolled  on  at  a  full  gallop,  regardless  of  the  pop- 


FRENCH  ERFURT.  349 

ulace,  followed  by  a  cavalcade  of  marshals  and  generals,  and 
the  coaches  of  Champagny,  Maret,  and  Talleyrand.  Having 
arrived  in  front  of  the  palace,  the  emperor  quickly  entered. 
At  the  landing  of  the  staircase  he  was  received  by  the  German 
princes,  headed  by  the  King  of  Saxony.  Napoleon  embraced 
the  old  gentleman  with  an  expression  of  genuine  tenderness. 
"Sire,"  said  the  king,  "you  see  you  have  made  my  heart 
young  again — you  have  restored  the  elasticity  of  youth  to 
my  old  body.  I  hastened  hither  with  courier-horses  in  order 
to  greet  you  first,  and  in  the  impatience  of  my  heart  I  have 
been  at  the  window  for  several  hours  to  have  the  happiness  of 
seeing  your  majesty." 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  bending  a  sinister  glance  on  the 
other  princes,  "  I  would  my  love  could  succeed  in  rendering 
you  as  young  as  your  heart;  it  would  greatly  promote  the  wel- 
fare of  Germany.  You  would  regenerate  the  ancient  German 
empire,  and  transform  it  into  a  real  and  lasting  union."  He 
cordially  shook  hands  with  the  king,  saluted  the  other  for- 
eigners with  an  impatient  nod,  and  walked  to  his  rooms,  where 
his  valets  de  chambre  were  awaiting  him. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  Minister  Champaguy  was  called  into 
the  emperor's  cabinet.  When  the  minister  entered,  Napoleon 
was  pacing  the  room;  his  hands  folded,  as  usual,  behind  him. 
A  map,  covered  with  colored  pins,  and  on  which  he  cast  a 
long,  dark  look,  lay  on  the  table.  Champagny  remained  in 
respectful  silence  at  the  door,  waiting  the  moment  when  it 
would  please  the  emperor  to  notice  his  presence.  At  length 
Napoleon  stood  facing  him.  "Champagny,"  he  asked,  "do 
you  know  why  we  are  here,  and  what  is  the  object  of  this 
meeting?" 

"  Your  majesty  has  not  done  me  the  honor  of  making  a 
conGdant  of  me,"  said  the  minister,  respectfully;  "hence,  I 
do  not  know,  but  merely  venture  to  surmise,  what  may  be  the 
object." 

"  And  what  do  you  surmise?" 

"  I  suppose  that  your  majesty  intends  to  give  a  fresh  im- 
petus to  the  friendship  of  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  to 
conclude  a  firm  alliance  with  him  in  order  to  be  sure  of  him, 
and  to  be  able  to  carry  on  the  war  in  Spain  without  hinder- 
aiice,  and,  if  need  be,  if — " 

"  Well,  why  do  you  hesitate?"  said  Napoleon,  impatiently. 

"If  need  be,"  added  Champagny,  "to  declare  war  against 
Austria." 


350  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Then  yon  really  believe  in  the  possibility  of  such  a  war?" 
he  said.  "Yes,  you  are  right;  we  must  not  suffer  ourselves 
to  be  deceived  by  apparent  humility  and  equivocal  friends; 
they  have  a  smile  on  their  lips,  but  at  heart  they  are  as  hostile 
as  ever,  and  while  with  their  right  hand  they  greet  us,  they 
are  arming  with  their  left.  But  woe  to  those  scoundrels  if  I 
catch  them  at  their  tricks !  I  will  so  punish  them  as  to  shatter 
their  thrones  and  crush  their  power.  Those  men  who  style 
themselves  'princes  by  the  grace  of  God'  have  never  learned 
any  thing  and  never  will.  They  close  their  ears  with  arro- 
gance against  the  events  that  unerringly  speak  to  them,  and 
they  are  still  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  nursery-song  of  'unap- 
proachable majesty. '  But  I  will  arouse  them  by  my  cannon, 
and  my  armies  shall  sing  them  a  song  of  the  new  majesty  that 
Heaven  has  sent  into  the  world.  It  has  overtoppled  the 
thrones  of  Naples  and  Spain;  so  it  will  that  of  Austria,  if 
such  be  my  desire!  Austria  must  not  persist  in  her  insolence, 
and  dare  to  menace  me!" 

Frowning,  he  commenced  again  rapidly  walking  the  apart- 
ment. "  Champagny,"  he  said,  stopping  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  "  come  here  close  to  me,  that  even  the  walls  will  not 
hear  what  I  tell  you.  You  shall  learn  the  object  of  our  jour- 
ney to  Erfurt,  and  I  will  inform  you  what  you  are  to  do.  I 
have  hitherto  treated  you  in  the  same  manner  as  the  admirals 
to  whom  I  give  dispatches  to  be  opened  only  on  the  high  seas. 
You  have  now  reached  them,  Champagny,  and  shall,  there- 
fore, learn  your  orders.  I  have  taken  you  with  me  because 
you  are  to  assist  in  accomplishing  an  important  object.  I 
have  selected  you,  and  you  alone,  for  I  know  that  I  may 
confide  in  your  discretion,  and  that  you  will  not  betray  any 
secret  intrusted  to  you.  Not  a  word  of  what  you  hear  now 
must  ever  pass  your  lips — not  a  hint  even  to  Talleyrand. 
Talleyrand  is  a  sneak  and  a  traitor,  who  would  like  to  be  on 
good  terms  with  all  parties,  so  as  to  be  sure  of  their  support 
whatever  may  happen.  Oh,  I  know  him;  I  have  fathomed 
him,  and  can  read  the  thoughts  which  he  takes  the  greatest 
pains  to  conceal.  I  know  that  I  ought  to  distrust  him — that 
he  is  intriguing  with  Austria;  and  that,  if  I  suffered  him  to 
share  in  our  scheme,  he  would  betray  the  secrets  of  my  cabinet 
to  the  Austrian  ambassador.  I  profit  by  his  services  when- 
ever he  is  useful  by  his  intrigue  and  diplomatic  jugglery;  but, 
I  repeat  it,  I  do  not  trust  him." 

"  Sire,  I  swear  that  I  should  deem  myself  dishonored  if  my 


FRENCH  ERFURT.  351 

lips  ever  betray  a  syllable  of  the  secret  projects  of  my  em- 
peror!" exclaimed  the  minister,  solemnly. 

"Well,  well,  I  trust  you,"  said  Napoleon,  nodding  to  him. 
"  Now,  listen!"  He  took  the  minister  by  one  of  the  golden 
buttons  of  his  velvet  coat  and  drew  him  closer  to  his  side. 
"  I  have  brought  about  this  meeting  because  I  desire  to  dupe 
the  Emperor  Alexander. " 

Champagny  started  and  looked  surprised.  Napoleon  smiled. 
"  I  shall  accomplish  my  purpose  so  far  as  Alexander  himself 
is  concerned,"  he  said;  "  but  you  must  do  the  same  with  re- 
gard to  the  Kussian  minister,  hard-headed  old  Romanzoff. 
And  let  me  tell  you  why.  You  know  what  I  promised  Alex- 
ander at  Tilsit,  and  by  what  means  I  succeeded  in  winning  his 
heart.  He  is  an  idealist;  the  plans  of  his  grandmother 
Catharine  are  constantly  haunting  him,  and  his  thoughts  are 
fixed  on  Turkey — particularly  on  Constantinople.  He  is  am- 
bitious, fickle,  and  visionary.  I  promised  to  realize  his 
visions,  and  thereby  gained  his  confidence.  I  promised  when 
the  time  came,  not  only  not  to  oppose  his  plane  against  Turkey, 
but  to  support  them  to  the  best  of  my  power.  In  consideration 
of  this  promise,  he  approved  my  ideas  with  regard  to  Spain, 
and  solemnly  pledged  me  his  word  that  he  would  raise  no  ob- 
jection if  I  hurl  the  Bourbons  from  the  Spanish  throne,  and 
place  one  of  my  brothers  on  it.  He  has  kept  his  word,  for, 
although  the  crown  is  still  uneasy  on  the  head  of  my  brother 
Joseph,  yet  he  is  a  king,  and  Alexander  will  believe  that  it 
is  time  for  me  to  keep  my  word.  His  envoys,  and  his  confi- 
dential minister,  old  Romanzoff,  have  already  urged  the  de- 
mands of  their  master.  Joseph  having  made  his  entry  into 
Madrid,  Alexander  desires  to  enter  Constantinople.  His  im- 
patience has  risen  to  the  highest  point,  and  to  calm  and 
conciliate  him,  I  consented  to  his  desire  for  a  meeting. 
He  will  renew  his  demands  concerning  Constantinople,  and 
I  shall  once  more  promise." 

"  Will  your  majesty  promise  him  Constantinople?"  asked 
Champagny. 

"Yes,"  said  Napoleon,  smiling,  "promise!  But  I  do  not 
intend  to  perform.  Never  will  I  consent  to  give  Constanti- 
nople to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  for  I  would  thereby  surrender 
the  key  of  a  universal  monarchy  into  his  hands — he  would  be 
at  once  master  of  Europe  and  Asia.  He  often  instructed 
Caulaincourt  to  assure  me  he  did  not  want  the  whole  of  Tur- 
key; he  did  not  claim  any  territory  south  of  the  Balkan,  nor 


352  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

any  part  of  Roumelia — not  even  Adrianople — only  Constan- 
tinople with  its  neighborhood.  He  calls  it  the  'Cat's 
Tongue,'  from  its  shape,  and  is  more  anxious  to  obtain  it 
than  the  ancient  Romans  ever  were  to  indulge  in  the  deli- 
cacy of  the  tongues  of  nightingales.  But  if  Russia  possessed 
this  cat's  tongue,  it  would  be  transformed  into  a  wolf's, 
armed  with  formidable  teeth  against  all  commerce  and  na- 
tional intercourse.  Never  shall  I  permit  Russia  to  annex 
Constantinople,  for  that  would  be  destroying  the  equilibrium 
of  Europe." 

"  But,  sire,  you  yourself  said  just  now  that  the  Emperor 
Alexander  was  most  anxious  to  seize  that  city,  and  that  the 
object  of  his  journey  to  Erfurt  was  principally  to  obtain  the 
consent  of  your  majesty  to  its  conquest." 

"  And  I  told  you  also  that  my  object  was  to  dupe  and  intoxi- 
cate him  gradually  by  delusive  friendship  and  promises,  by 
festivities  and  false  homage,  until  it  is  indifferent  to  him 
whether,  as  a  compensation  for  the  acquisition  of  Spain  by 
my  brother,  I  give  him  Constantinople  and  the  Balkan,  or 
something  else,  provided  it  is  palatable.  He  has  an  awful 
appetite  for  territory,  and  it  is  important  to  satisfy  it  in  one 
way  or  another.  It  is  easy  to  persuade  a  hungry  man  that  a 
very  common  dish  is  good  roast  meat.  It  is  our  business, 
therefore,  to  suggest  to  the  emperor  and  his  minister  another 
conquest  instead  of  Constantinople,  and  so  to  dress  up  the  idea 
that  they  may  relish  it,  and  ask  for  nothing  else. " 

"Ah,  sire,"  exclaimed  Champagny,  sighing,  "it  will  be 
easy  for  your  majesty  to  fascinate  the  emperor.  But  my 
efforts  with  his  old  minister  Romanzoff  are  likely  to  be  utterly 
unavailing.  I  am  not  well  versed  in  that  art  of  which  you 
are  a  master,  and  he  is  too  old  and  shrewd  to  be  fascinated  by 
any  one.  He  is  not  easily  deluded,  and  his  eyes  are  stead- 
fastly fixed  on  Constantinople.  It  is  his  most  fervent  hope  to 
be  hailed  in  heaven  by  Peter  the  Great,  after  assisting  Alex- 
ander in  accomplishing  the  will  of  his  illustrious  ancestor." 

"And  yet  we  must  succeed,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  stamping 
on  the  floor.  "  I  tell  you,  Champagny,  I  will  and  must  suc- 
ceed !  No  objections !  I  told  you  that  I  have  made  up  my 
mind,  and  nothing  can  shake  my  determination.  You  will 
commence  by  encouraging  Romanzoff  in  his  hopes,  and  throw 
out  only,  now  and  then,  a  vague  hint  that  there  are  countries, 
the  annexation  of  which  would  be  more  important  and  advan- 
tageous to  Russia.  After  having  prepared  his  mind  in  this 


FRENCH  ERFURT.  353 

manner  for  our  plan,  you  will  gradually,  and  as  soon  as  I  have 
gained  over  the  emperor,  point  out  to  him  the  conquest  which 
Russia  ought  previously  to  make,  and  prove  to  him  that  Mol- 
davia and  Wallachia  would  be  the  very  best  territorial  aggran- 
dizement which  he  could  desire." 

"  Your  majesty  intends,  then,  to  permit  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  to  annex  Moldavia  and  Wallachia?"  asked  the  minister. 

"  Yes.  I  must  satisfy  him  with  some  compensation  for 
Constantinople.  And,  it  seems  to  me,  the  fertile  provinces 
of  the  Danube,  if  I  grant  them  to  him  immediately  and  un- 
reservedly, are  an  acquisition  which  ought  to  content  any 
ambition.  I  cannot  do  without  the  friendship  of  Alexander 
at  this  moment.  Spain  is  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  and, 
owing  to  Joseph's  timidity,  will  not  be  soon  reduced  to  sub- 
mission. Austria  is  trying  to  get  up  a  quarrel  with  us;  she 
is  secretly  and  perfidiously  preparing  for  an  attack,  and  is 
only  waiting  for  fresh  defeats  of  my  army  in  Spain  to  declare 
war  against  me.  Prussia,  it  is  true,  is  not  able  to  injure  me, 
for  I  am  keeping  her  under  my  heel ;  but  if  I  were  compelled 
to  withdraw  my  foot  for  an  instant,  she  would  slip  away  and 
unite  with  my  enemies.  Nor  do  I  trust  my  other  allies  in 
Germany.  They  are  faithful  and  devoted  only  so  long  as  they 
are  afraid  of  me;  they  would  forsake  me  as  soon  as  they  see 
my  position  endangered.  They  submitted  reluctantly  to  my 
orders  to  furnish  me  with  auxiliaries  for  my  army  in  Spain. 
If  I  were  to  insist  on  another  levy,  all  these  petty  princes  of 
the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine  would  flatly  refuse,  provided 
there  was  a  prospect  of  their  succeeding  in  their  opposition. 
I  must  keep  them  down  by  the  terror  with  which  I  inspire 
them.  I  must  prove  to  all  those  revolutionary  elements  fer- 
menting in  Germany — to  insurgents,  from  the  throne  to  the 
cottage — to  all  those  miserable  conspirators  and  demagogues 
— that  I  stand  as  firm  as  a  rock,  from  which  their  fury  will 
recoil.  United  with  Russia,  I  will  make  all  Europe  tremble. 
The  echoes  of  the  festivities  of  Erfurt  shall  penetrate  every- 
where, from  London  to  Constantinople;  the  whole  world  looks 
upon  us  and  sees  the  Emperors  of  Russia  and  France  side  by 
side.  Amid  these  enchantments  I  believe  I  shall  succeed  in 
persuading  my  friend  Alexander  to  accept  temporarily  Mol- 
davia and  Wallachia  as  a  sufficient  indemnity  for  Constanti- 
nople. You  know  your  duty  now,  Champagny;  lay  your 
mines  skilfully,  and  you  will  succeed  in  blowing  up  the  old 
granite  fortress  of  Romanzoff." 


354  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Sire,  I  assure  you  I  will  assist  you  to  the  best  of  my  abil- 
ity," said  the  minister.  "  Your  majesty,  however,  will  permit 
me  to  ask  a  question.  The  promise  of  the  annexation  of  Mol- 
davia and  Wallachia  is  not  to  be  a  mere  sham,  and  your 
majesty  will  really  permit  Russia  to  seize  these  two  provinces?" 

Napoleon  smiled,  and,  violently  pulling  the  minister's  ear 
in  his  usual  jocular  way,  said,  "  What  a  rash  and  indiscreet 
question !  Of  course,  we  shall  promise  the  annexation.  When 
it  is  to  be  fulfilled  we  must  delay  it  as  long  as  possible,  and 
the  rest  will  depend  on  events.  In  order  that  I  may  know 
exactly  how  far  you  have  progressed  with  Romanzoff,  you  will 
write  down  your  conversations  with  him  every  day,  and  also 
your  plans,  hopes,  and  fears;  I  desire  to  have  every  night  a 
letter  from  you  on  the  table  at  my  bedside.  Adieu!"  He 
nodded  pleasantly,  and  while  Champagny  withdrew,  the  em- 
peror called  in  a  loud  voice  for  Constant,  his  valet  de  chambre. 

"Did  you  send  for  Talma?"  he  asked  Constant. 

"  Sire,  Talma  is  waiting  for  your  majesty's  orders  in  the 
anteroom." 

"  Very  well,,  let  him  come  in.  Have  the  horses  brought  to 
the  door.  All  the  marshals  and  my  whole  suite  must  be 
ready.  We  set  out  immediately  to  meet  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander, but  I  will  previously  put  on  my  decoration  of  St.  An- 
drew's order;  then  my  toilet  will  be  complete. — Talma!" 

Constant  hastened  into  the  anteroom  to  inform  Talma  that 
the  emperor  wished  to  see  him,  and  a  moment  afterward  the 
great  actor  made  his  appearance.  "Ah,  you  have  arrived, 
then,  Talma,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  gayly,  "and  I  hope  you 
have  brought  with  you  the  most  select  company  of  actors,  the 
finest  costumes,  and  the  best  pieces?" 

"  I  have  brought  hither,  sire,  the  actors  and  the  theatre  of 
the  conqueror  of  the  world,"  said  Talma,  "  and  that  says  every 
thing.  The  eyes  of  your  majesty  will  be  on  us;  that  is  all 
that  is  needed  to  inspire  us." 

"  But  you  will  also  play  before  an  audience  such  as  perhaps 
will  never  again  assemble,"  said  Napoleon,  smiling.  "You 
will  have  it  occupied  by  kings  and  sovereign  princes." 

"Sire,"  said  Talma,  bowing  deeply,  "  where  your  majesty  is, 
there  is  but  one  king  and  master." 

"No;  there  is  another  king,  and  his  name  is  Talma,"  ex- 
claimed Napoleon,  smiling.  "These  German  princes  may 
take  a  lesson  from  Talma  as  to  the  manner  in  which  a  king 
should  bear  himself  in  prosperity  as  well  as  in  adversity. 


FRENCH  ERFURT.  355 

You  will,  therefore,  perform  CEdipus,  Cinna,  Mohammed, 
and  Andromache,  that  kings  may  see  how  true  inonarehs 
ought  to  behave.  I  could  have  wished,  however,  that  you 
had  prepared  not  only  the  tragedies  of  Racine,  Corneille,  and 
Voltaire,  but  also  some  of  the  comedies  of  Moliore.  You 
know  how  highly  I  esteem  them.  But  the  Germans  would 
not  understand  them.  We  must  show  them  the  beauty  and 
sublimity  of  our  tragic  theatre;  they  will  appreciate  it  better 
than  the  profound  wit  of  Moliere.  Make  it  indispensable  for 
the  actors,  and  very  particularly  the  actresses,  to  speak  as 
distinctly  and  loudly  as  possible,  that  the  Emperor  Alexander, 
who  is  somewhat  hard  of  hearing,  may  understand.  You  are 
the  representatives  of  the  honor  of  French  literature;  just  say 
so  to  the  artists  in  my  name,  and  order  the  ladies  especially  to 
refrain  from  their  wonted  ogling  and  coquetry.  Handsome 
Mademoiselle  Bourgoin  likes  also  to  make  conquests,  not  only 
on  the  stage,  but  among  the  spectators;  and,  while  she  is 
playing  tragic  amonrenses,  she  casts  on  the  audience  glances 
that  are  more  suitable  to  a  beauty  of  the  Palais  Royal  than  to 
a  heroine,  and  which  contrast  strangely  with  the  chaste  char- 
acters she  represents.  Tell  her  that  I  desire  her  to  abstain 
from  such  follies;  she  must  not  desecrate  the  buskin  by  the 
minauderies  of  a  soubrette.*  For  the  rest,  I  rely  entirely  on 
you,  Talma.  The  eyes  of  Europe  are  fixed  on  Erfurt  at  this 
moment,  and  your  immortality  is  sure." 

"  Sire,  it  was  so  on  the  day  when,  after  the  representation  of 
China,  your  majesty  told  me  that  you  were  satisfied  with  me." 

"  And  perform  Ciuna  to-night.  I  enjoy  the  pleasure  already 
in  anticipation.  I  ask  another  question.  Did  you  bring  the 
parts  for  Voltaire's  'Death  of  Ca?sar?' ' 

"For  the  'Death  of  Caesar?' "  asked  Talma,  in  surprise. 
"  Your  majesty — " 

"  Ah,  you  want  to  tell  me  that  the  piece  is  prohibited  in 
Paris,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  smiling.  "But  Paris  is  a  Vesu- 
vius— what  is  inflammatory  in  France  is  perfectly  harmless  in 
phlegmatic  Germany.  Let  the  actors  prepare  for  performing 
the  'Death  of  Caesar;'  I  will  order  it  to  be  played  in  a  few 
days.  Tell  them  so. — Well,  Constant,  what  is  the  matter?" 

"  Sire,  your  majesty  desired  to  put  on  the  large  Russian 
decoration." 

"Ah,  it  is  true,"  said  Napoleon;  "come,  put  it  on."     And 

*  Alexander  fell  in  love  with  this  actress  at  Erfurt.  Napoleon  tried  to  prevent 
Mademoiselle  Bourgoin  from  continuing  this  liaison,  but  tJio  actress  was  bold 
e-nough  to  defy  the  wrath  of  the  emperor. 


356  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

while  Constant  put  the  broad  cordon  with  the  diamond  star 
over  the  emperor's  shoulders,  and  arranged  it  on  his  breast, 
Napoleon  turned  once  more  to  Talma.  "  You  see,"  he  said, 
"  we  monarchs  pursue  the  same  course  you  do.  We  put  on 
different  costumes  according  to  the  part  we  play.  I  wore  a 
fez  in  Egypt,  and  to-day  I  put  on  the  imperial  star  of  Russia." 

"  But,  sire,  everywhere  you  play  your  part  with  masterly 
skill,  and  the  world,  which  is  your  audience,  applauds  your 
majesty,"  exclaimed  Talma. 

"  Oh,  it  would  not  be  safe  to  hiss  me,"  said  Napoleon,  put- 
ting on  his  gloves,  and  taking  the  riding-whip  which  Con- 
stant handed  to  him. 

Accompanied  by  a  brilliant  suite,  the  emperor  left  Erfurt, 
and  took  the  road  to  Weimar,  whence  the  Emperor  Alexander 
was  to  come.  French  troops  lined  the  way,  and  behind  them 
was  a  vast  and  motley  crowd  of  peasants,  who  had  come  from 
all  parts  to  witness  the  cavalcade.  Napoleon  did  not  hear  the 
enthusiastic  shouts  of  the  soldiers,  but  he  noticed  the  silence 
of  the  people,  who  stared  at  him  with  the  curiosity  with 
which  they  would  have  stared  at  any  other  unusual  spectacle. 
He  bent  his  head  and  rode  on,  absorbed  in  reflection;  the 
bridle  hung  loose  in  his  hand,  but  his  white  charger  was  ac- 
customed to  this  carelessness,  and  galloped  forward,  proud  of 
his  melancholy  rider. 

Duroc  rode  up.  "Sire,"  he  said,  "I  believe  that  is  the 
Emperor  Alexander." 

Napoleon  quickly  raised  his  head,  and  turned  his  keen  eyes 
in  the  direction  the  grand  marshal  had  pointed  out.  An  open 
barouche,  in  which  a  single  person  sat,  was  approaching,  ac- 
companied by  a  few  horsemen.  Napoleon  waited.  The  car- 
riage drew  nearer,  and  the  person  seated  in  it  was  recognized 
by  his  uniform  and  the  grand  cordon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 

"It  is  he — the  Emperor  Alexander!"  exclaimed  Napoleon, 
and  rode  forward  at  a  gallop,  followed  by  his  marshals  and 
generals.  The  carriage  of  the  Russian  emperor  also  moved 
more  rapidly,  and  when  both  were  near  each  other  they  sud- 
denly halted.  Napoleon  dismounted;  and  Alexander,  not 
waiting  for  the  carriage  door  to  be  opened,  jumped  over  it. 
The  two  monarchs  rushed  toward  each  other  with  open  arms, 
and  the  soldiers  made  the  welkin  ring  with  "  Long  live  Napo- 
leon! Long  live  Alexander!" 

Napoleon,  disengaging  himself  from  the  arms  of  his  friend, 
saluted  the  Grand-duke  Constantine.  A  horse  was  brought 


FRENCH  ERFURT.  357 

to  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  as  he  was  about  to  mount  he 
looked  in  surprise  at  the  splendid  animal,  as  well  as  at  its 
equipment.  "Why,"  he  said,  "this  looks  exactly  as  though 
I  were  going  to  take  a  ride  on  my  favorite  charger  in  St. 
Petersburg.  It  is  precisely  of  similar  color  and  trappings." 

"  That  proves  that  the  drawings  which  Caulaincourt  sent 
me  were  pretty  correct,"  said  Napoleon,  smiling. 

"Ah,  then  it  is  another  attention  of  yours,"  exclaimed 
Alexander,  affectionately  pressing  the  hand  of  his  friend. 
"  Your  majesty  is  bent  on  infatuating  me.  I  feel  perfectly  at 
home  on  this  horse." 

"Ah,  that  is  exactly  what  I  wished,"  said  Napoleon;  "I 
sincerely  desired  that  your  majesty  should  feel  at  home  while 
with  me.  Well,  if  it  please  you,  let  us  ride  to  Erfurt." 

"Very  well,"  said  Alexander,  vaulting  gracefully  into  the 
saddle,  and  offering  his  hand  to  Napoleon,  on  whose  right  he 
was  riding.  The  emperors,  chatting  gayly,  rode  on  to  Erfurt. 
Behind  them  was  the  Grand-duke  Constantino,  between  King 
Jerome  of  Westphalia,  and  Murat,  Grand-duke  of  Berg. 
Then  followed  the  suite  of  the  marshals  and  generals,  and  the 
procession  was  closed  by  the  carriage  of  old  Romanzoff,  Alex- 
ander's minister  of  state.  Enthusiastic  cheers  resounded 
along  the  whole  road,  and  now  Napoleon,  with  a  serene  bow, 
saluted  the  multitude.  Amid  the  peals  of  bells,  the  booming 
of  cannon,  and  the  cheers  of  the  soldiers  and  the  populace, 
the  two  emperors  made  their  entry,  halting  in  front  of  the 
hotel.  Napoleon  alighted  first  to  welcome  his  guest,  and  con- 
duct him  to  the  rooms  prepared  for  his  reception. 

Late  on  the  same  day  Napoleon  received  a  letter  from  his 
Minister  Champagny.  It  contained  only  the  following  words: 
"Sire,  I  have  held  the  first  conference  with  Romanzoff.  It 
will  be  very  difficult  to  persuade  this  stubborn  man  that  a  piece 
of  meat  on  the  Danube  is  as  good  as  the  cat's  tongue,  for 
which  the  old  gentleman  is  as  clamorous  as  a  hungry  child  for 
its  dinner." 

Napoleon  took  a  pen  and  affixed  the  following  words:  "I 
have  also  held  the  first  conference  with  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander. There  will  be  no  change  in  my  plans.  Moldavia  and 
Wallachia  as  an  indemnity  for  the  'cat's  tougue!'  We  must 
succeed!"  He  then  folded  and  sealed  the  letter,  which  he 
immediately  sent  back  to  his  minister. 

P — Mm LBACH  VOL.  jo 


358  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA, 

CHAPTER   XL. 

THE    CONSPIE  ATOKS, 

WHILE  the  illumination,  with  which  the  good  people  of  the 
French  city  had  celebrated  the  arrival  of  the  two  emperors, 
was  in  full  blaze  on  the  principal  thoroughfares,  only  a  single 
dim  light  was  to  be  seen  in  a  small  building  situated  on  the 
corner  of  one  of  the  more  quiet  streets.  The  other  windows 
of  this  house  were  dark,  and  all  was  silent  as  though  no  living 
beings  were  dwelling  in  it.  From  time  to  time,  a  closely- 
veiled  man  appeared  in  the  neighborhood,  and,  after  glancing 
at  the  light  in  the  upper  window,  uttered  a  strange  cry.  A 
second  light  was  soon  moving  to  and  fro,  and  disappearing 
again.  The  man  approached  and  knocked  repeatedly  at  the 
door,  which  opened  and  admitted  him.  Twelve  men  had  en- 
tered. The  light  was  extinguished;  the  door  bolted  on  the 
inside,  and  profound  silence  reigned  in  the  building. 

The  French  police  had  devoted  their  whole  attention  to  the 
principal  streets  of  the  city,  and  to  the  vast  crowds  that  fol- 
lowed the  emperors,  who,  accompanied  by  kings  and  princes, 
proceeded  to  admire  the  illumination.  There  were  no  eyes 
for  this  small,  dark  house  in  an  obscure  alley — no  ears  to  lis- 
ten to  what  was  going  on  within.  The  twelve  men  who  had 
entered  in  so  mysterious  a  manner,  had  assembled  in  a  large 
back  room.  They  had  whispered  the  password  into  the  ear  of 
the  door-keeper,  and  were  at  once  admitted. 

The  windows  of  this  room  were  covered  with  heavy  black 
curtains,  which  prevented  sound,  as  well  as  light,  from  pene- 
trating to  the  outside.  Thirteen  candlesticks  were  fixed  at 
equal  distances  in  the  plain  white  walls.  The  man  who  had 
entered  first  approached  the  first  candlestick  and  lighted  the 
two  tapers.  He  who  came  next  did  the  same  with  the  next 
candlestick,  and  the  others  followed  their  example.  At  this 
moment  the  tapers  on  twelve  candlesticks  were  burning;  and 
only  the  thirteenth,  which  contained  six  tapers,  had  not  yet 
been  lighted.  Around  the  long  table  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  twelve  grave  and  silent  men  were  sitting  on  cane- 
chairs,  the  high  backs  of  which  were  carved  in  a  peculiar, 
old-fashioned  style;  these  men  were  closely  wrapped  in  black 
cloaks,  the  capes  of  which  concealed  their  heads,  and  their 


THE  CONSPBBATOES.  359 

faces  were  covered  with  black  half-masks,  which  they  had 
put  on  immediately  after  entering  the  house.  At  the  up- 
per end  of  the  table  stood  a  black  easy-chair,  which  was 
alone  unoccupied.  The  flashing  eyes  peering  from  the 
capes  were  directed  to  this  chair;  no  word  was  spoken;  a 
breath  was  almost  audible  in  the  motionless  assembly.  Sud- 
denly a  narrow,  secret  door  opened  in  the  opposite  wall,  and 
a  tall  man,  dressed  and  veiled  like  the  others,  made  his  ap- 
pearance. 

The  assembly  remained  as  before,  and  seemed  to  take  no 
notice  of  the  new-comer.  The  latter  quickly  walked  to  the 
thirteenth  candlestick,  and  lighted  its  tapers.  The  others 
immediately  rose  from  their  seats  and  bowed  deeply.  "  The 
president!"  they  murmured.  "We  greet  him  who  has  called 
us — we  greet  the  president!"  He  nodded,  and  then  went  to 
the  tipper  end  of  the  table.  Before  sitting  down,  he  opened 
a  little  the  black  cloak  enveloping  his  whole  form,  and  the 
others  beheld  a  heavy  silver  chain  adorning  his  breast,  and  to 
which  was  fastened  a  locket,  decorated  with  diamonds.  In 
the  middle  of  it  a  skull  was  to  be  seen,  and  under  it  the  in- 
scription of  "  Liberty  or  Death!"  As  soon  as  the  rest  beheld 
this,  they  also  opened  their  cloaks.  Each  of  them  wore  a 
similar  chain,  locket,  and  inscription. 

"Resume  your  seats,  brethren,"  said  the  president,  sitting 
down  in  the  easy-chair.  He  then  said  in  a  loud,  solemn  voice, 
"  The  hour  has  come  for  us  to  act.  Germany  has  called  us, 
and,  as  obedient  sons,  we  come!  Germany,  our  beloved 
mother,  is  here  in  our  midst,  although  we  do  not  see  her. 
She  stands  with  veiled  head  and  tearful  eyes  before  her  chil- 
dren, and  asks  ns  to  give  her  an  account  of  what  we  have 
done  and  accomplished.  Brethren,  are  we  ready?" 

"  \Ve  are!"  all  exclaimed,  simultaneously. 

"When  we  parted  three  months  ago,  my  brethren,"  added 
the  president,  "  we  resolved  to  meet  here  to-day.  I  see  that 
all  have  remained  faithful  to  their  oath.  Not  one  is  absent. 
No  taper  is  unlit — the  seats  are  occupied.  Germania,  that 
knows  who  are  hers,  and  how  to  call  them  by  their  names, 
although  they  veil  their  heads, — Germania  thanks  you  for 
your  fidelity.  She  awaits  our  report.  Let  us  speak !  He 
who  arrived  first  will  commence." 

One  at  the  lower  end  of  the  table  rose  and  bowed  respect- 
fully. "I  arrived  first,"  he  said. 

"You  have  the  floor,  then,  my  brother,"  said  the  president. 


360  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Make  your  report.  Where  have  you  been?  What  connec- 
tions did  you  establish?  What  hopes  do  you  bring?" 

"  I  was  in  Northern  Germany,"  he  replied;  "for  that  was 
the  order  which  I  drew  from  the  urn  when  we  met  here  three 
months  ago.  In  the  envelope  which  I  received,  I  found  a 
paper  containing  the  words:  'Ferdinand  von  Schill  at  Kol- 
berg. '  The  first  lines  of  a  song  were  affixed  to  this  address. 
I  repaired  immediately  to  Kolberg,  and  found  Major  von 
Schill  engaged  in  equipping  and  drilling  the  second  regiment 
of  Brandenburg  hussars,  of  which  the  king  has  appointed  him 
commander.  The  regiment  consists  of  the  four  brave  com- 
panies of  cavalry  with  which  Lieutenant  von  Schill  undertook 
his  bold  and  successful  raids." 

"  And  did  you  deliver  your  credentials  to  the  major,  my 
brother?" 

"  I  did.  He  received  me  with  a  joyful  salutation,  and  sends 
his  greeting  and  fraternal  kiss  to  the 'patriots. '  He  said  to 
me :  'We  pursue  with  zeal  and  courage  the  purpose  which  we 
have  sworn  to  accomplish.  Go  to  the  brethren — tell  them 
that  they  may  count  on  me  and  my  men,  and  on  the  people, 
who  are  gradually  being  inspired  with  the  true  spirit,  and  who 
will  rise  when  the  alarm  is  sounded.  When  the  time  comes, 
the  whole  of  Germany  will  rise  to  a  man,  break  her  chains, 
and  expel  the  tyrant.  Let  us  prepare  for  this  hour,  in  the 
North  and  South,  in  the  East  and  West,  that  the  whole  coun- 
try may  be  armed  at  the  first  battle-cry  of  freedom !  Let  us 
work  and  toil,  keeping  each  other  well  informed  of  our  prog- 
ress. We  must  all  act  on  one  and  the  same  day!' ' 

"Did  you  hear  the  words  and  greetings  of  brave  Schill, 
brethren?"  asked  the  president. 

"  We  heard,  and  engraved  them  on  our  heart." 

"It  is  now  the  turn  of  the  brother  who  arrived  next,"  said 
the  president.  "  Make  your  report." 

"  Soul-stirring  hopes!  and  I  wish  you  joy  of  our  prospects," 
said  he  who  had  now  risen.  "  At  our  last  meeting  I  drew 
from  the  urn  the  order  to  go  to  Berlin  and  Konigsberg.  I 
was  there!  Oh,  brethren,  the  days  of  freedom  are  near!  In 
Berlin,  I  was  introduced  by  one  of  our  friends  to  a  circle  of 
patriots,  who,  like  us,  have  formed  a  secret  society  for  the 
purpose  of  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  fatherland,  and  of 
ushering  in  the  day  of  freedom.  Those  patriots  are  in  com- 
munication with  men  sharing  their  sentiments  throughout 
the  whole  of  Northern  Germany ;  committees  are  organized 


THE  CONSPIBATORS.  361 

everywhere  to  instruct  the  people,  to  disseminate  patriotic 
views,  and  to  gain  adherents  to  the  great  league  of  the  de- 
fenders of  the  fatherland.  Secret  depots  of  arms  are  being 
established  in  every  city.  The  central  committee,  sitting 
in  Berlin,  have  taken  upon  themselves  the  tusk  of  watching 
the  French  troops,  their  numbers,  location,  and  strength ;  of 
ascertaining  the  disposition  of  the  people  in  the  provinces, 
and  of  transmitting  the  results  of  their  observations  to  the 
branches  of  their  league,  as  well  as  to  the  other  patriotic 
societies.  Henceforth  we  shall  also  receive  those  reports,  if 
one  of  our  brethren  will  call  for  them  in  Berlin. 

"  Thence,  well  provided  with  recommendations  by  the  com- 
mittee, I  repaired  to  Konigsberg.  From  what  I  sa\v  there  I 
derived  much  consolation  and  hope  for  the  future  of  the 
country.  The  spirit  of  freedom  is  fermenting,  and  high- 
minded  men  have  erected  at  Konigsberg  an  altar  on  which 
they  intend  to  kindle  the  sacred  fire,  that  it  may  melt  our 
chains.  The  name  of  this  altar  is  the  "Tugeudbuud. '  *  Noble 
and  illustrious  men  are  at  the  head  of  this  league;  a  prince 
is  its  president;  Stein,  the  great  minister,  is  its  protector; 
brave  General  Bliicher,  Gneisenau,  the  distinguished  oilicer 
— in  short,  the  most  eminent  and  popular  men  of  Prussia  are 
members.  King  Frederick  William  has  approved  its  by-laws; 
Queen  Louisa  is  enthusiastically  in  favor  of  its  patriotic  efforts. 
It  does  not  intend  to  enter  upon  a  violent  struggle,  but  will 
prepare  the  people  by  its  words  and  example  for  better  days.  It 
intends  to  increase  the  moral  energy  of  the  nation,  that  it  may 
also  rise  in  its  physical  strength,  and  be  able  to  cope  with  the 
invaders.  This  league,  my  brethren,  purposes  to  propagate 
patriotism,  courage,  attachment  to  the  sovereign  and  the  con- 
stitution, love  of  virtue,  art,  science,  and  literature.  It  in- 
tends to  cultivate  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people,  that 
they  may  shrink  from  no  sacrifice  for  the  welfare  of  the  coun- 
try. My  brethren,  the  'Tugendbund'  is  the  head  and  heart 
of  us  all;  we  shall  one  day  be  its  arm  and  sword,  and  trans- 
late its  teachings  into  heroic  deeds.  It  sends  its  greetings  to 
the  brethren,  admonishing  us  never  to  cease  working  and  toil- 
ing, and  to  maintain  a  close  connection  with  it,  as  well  as 
with  all  our  friends,  until  the  great  day  of  deliverance 
dawns  upon  us.  But  I  do  not  bring  greetings  from  that 
league  alone.  I  have  seen  also  the  'Knights  of  Louisa,'  f  and 

*  The  celebrated  "League  of  Vlrtua." 
t  Die  Louisenritter. 


362  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

received  their  fraternal  kiss.  Brave  Major  von  Nostitz,  for- 
merly an  intimate  friend  and  adjutant  of  Prince  Louis  Fer- 
dinand, is  their  president,  and  the  noble  queen  has  permitted 
them  the  use  of  her  name  as  a  token  of  her  sympathy.  As  a 
further  expression  of  her  approval,  she  has  presented  the 
president  with  a  silver  chain,  and  all  the  members  of  the 
order  wear,  as  their  regalia,  a  silver  chain  and  a  locket  with 
the  queen's  portrait.  The  'Tugendbund'  and  the  'Knights 
of  Louisa'  send  greetings  to  the  brethren,  and  will  unite  with 
them  in  struggling  for  the  same  holy  cause.  They  await  our 
messengers,  and  will  inform  us  of  every  thing  that  is  done  by 
them,  as  well  as  receive  information  from  us  concerning  our 
own  efforts." 

"Your  report  is  highly  gratifying,"  said  the  president, 
after  a  pause.  "  Deliverance  will  soon  come,  and  true  Ger- 
mans will  be  prepared  for  it.  We  will  now  listen  to  the  third 
brother." 

"  I  was  in  Westphalia,  and  bring  cheering  tidings  to  the 
patriotic  brethren,"  said  the  third  brother.  "  The  chains  are 
still  clanking  in  unfortunate  Westphalia,  but  the  men  are  aa 
undaunted  as  ever.  Noble  Chevalier  von  Dornberg  sends  his 
greeting.  He  admonishes  us  to  toil,  and  to  be  prepared. 
We  shall  have  ready  our  swords  and  our  strong  arms.  Thou- 
sands of  noble  and  faithful  Hessians  belong  to  this  league. 
The  honest  minds  of  the  people  cannot  see  what  right  the 
Corsican  emperor  had  to  expel  their  legitimate  ruler,  and  to 
place  an  Italian  clown  on  his  throne.  Intense  indignation  at 
the  foreign  yoke  is  prevailing  throughout  Hessia  and  West- 
phalia, and  every  patriot  rallies  around  Dornberg  waiting  for 
the  signal  to  expel  the  oppressor.  United  with  us,  Dornberg 
sends  his  messengers  and  receives  ours." 

"Let  the  fourth  brother  make  his  report,"  said  the  presi- 
dent. 

"  I  come  from  Bavaria,  and  bring  greetings  from  the  society 
of  'Concordists,' founded  by  Chevalier  von  Lang.  This  so- 
ciety is  straining  every  nerve  to  bring  about  the  liberation  of 
the  country;  it  is,  like  our  league,  preparing  the  people  for 
their  freedom.  •  It  is  ready  to  enter  into  relationship  with  us." 

"  And  what  brings  the  fifth  of  the  brethren?" 

"  I  bring  fraternal  kisses  from  the  Ehine,  where  Jahn,  the 
bold  German,  is  organizing  the  legion  of  the  'Black  Knights.' 
I  bring  also  greetings  from  the  chivalrous  Duke  of  Bruns- 
wick. The  'Corps  of  Vengeance,'  with  skulls  on  their  black 


THE  CONSPIRATORS.  363 

helmets,  are  rallying  around  the  prince,  who,  with  fiery  zeal, 
is  preparing  for  the  day  when  he  will  avenge  the  despair  and 
death  of  his  father.  The  'Black  Knights'  and  the  'Corps  of 
Vengeance'  send  us  greetings,  and  are  ready  to  toil  with  us 
for  the  deliverance  of  our  country,  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
tyrant." 

The  president  requested  the  sixth  brother  to  take  the  floor, 
and  he  too  stated  that  he  had  established  connections  with 
leagues  having  the  same  common  object.  The  other  six  made 
similar  statements.  Everywhere  in  Germany  they  had  found 
patriots,  the  same  hatred  of  a  foreign  yoke,  and  the  most  ar- 
dent longing  for  freedom. 

When  the  twelfth  brother  had  concluded  his  report,  the 
president  arose.  "  Brethren,"  he  said,  encouragingly,  "  our 
night  begins  to  brighten — the  day  is  breaking.  Let  us, 
therefore,  be  vigilant,  active,  and  undaunted.  Gather  around 
you  the  circles  of  the  faithful ;  initiate  and  arm  them;  teach 
them  to  be  ready  for  the  battle-cry,  that  they  may  rise  and 
fight,  all  for  one,  and  one  for  all.  Set  out  again  on  your 
travels;  establish  new  societies,  and  join,  in  a  genuine  spirit 
of  brotherly  love,  such  as  are  already  in  operation.  Work 
for  the  honor  and  liberty  of  Germany.  Thousands  already 
belong  to  us,  and  you  will  still  enlist  thousands  more;  that, 
when  the  trumpet  sounds,  the  brethren  may  reinforce  the 
army  of  German  liberty,  not  with  a  battalion,  but  with  legions 
of  warriors.  We  have  come  hither  to-day  from  all  parts  of 
Germany ;  we  know  not  each  other's  names,  nor  have  we  ever 
seen  each  other's  faces;  yet  no  one  has  proved  recreant.  Go, 
then,  again  into  the  world,  and  pursue  your  sacred  mission. 
Three  months  hence  we  will  again  meet  at  this  house  at  the 
same  hour,  and  confer  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done.  Bring 
the  urn,  and  draw  your  duties  for  the  next  three  months." 

The  man  who  had  last  arrived  rose  and  walked  to  the  oppo- 
site wall,  at  which  the  president  pointed,  as  he  said,  "  Press 
the  golden  button  which  you  see  fixed  in  the  wall." 

The  conspirator  obeyed,  and  immediately  a  small  door 
opened,  revealing  51  black  urn,  which  he  handed  to  the  presi- 
dent, who  said,  "  Come  hither,  brethren,  and  draw  your  lots." 

The  twelve  men  rose  successively  and  stepped  to  the  urn, 
from  which  each  drew  a  small  folded  paper,  and,  approaching 
the  light,  immediately  learned  his  mission  by  opening  the  lot; 
as  soon  as  he  had  read  its  contents,  he  burned  it,  extinguished 
his  tapers,  and  withdrew,  without  word,  glance,  or  gesture. 


364  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Nine  had  already  left.  Only  four  candlesticks  remained 
lighted — three  of  the  conspirators,  besides  the  president,  were 
still  in  the  room.  Each  of  these  three  men  stood  near  the 
burning  tapers,  and  looked  in  grave  silence  at  the  open  paper 
in  his  hand. 

"Why  are  you  here  still,  brethren?"  asked  the  president. 

"My  order  says  that  I  am  to  remain  here,"  answered  the 

J  •/  ' 

man  to  whom  the  president  addressed  himself. 

"  My  order  says  the  same,"  exclaimed  the  second  brother. 

"Mine  is  the  same,"  said  the  third. 

"  Come  hither  and  listen  to  me,  brethren,"  commanded  the 
president.  "What  is  the  motto  of  our  league?" 

"'Liberty  or  death!'"  exclaimed  the  three  men,  simulta- 
neously. "Our  fortunes,  our  lives,  our  blood,  for  Germany! 
If  need  be,  death  for  the  attainment  of  liberty,  whether  it  be 
on  the  field  of  battle,  in  a  dungeon,  or  on  the  scaffold!" 

"  Or  on  the  scaffold!"  echoed  the  president.  "Do  you  re- 
member, brethren,  that,  when  we  met  for  the  first  time,  I  told 
you  Germany  might  stand  in  need  of  a  Mutius  Scaevola,  and 
require  him  to  assassinate  Porsenna?  Do  you  remember  that 
we  all  swore,  if  the  day  should  come  to  imitate  that  ancient 
patriot?" 

"We  do." 

"  That  day  has  come,"  said  the  president,  solemnly.  "  Ger- 
many requires  a  Mutius  Scaevola,  to  kill  Porsenna,  and,  if  he 
should  miss  him,  to  suffer  as  stoically  as  the  Roman  youth. 
Enough  German  blood  has  been  shed.  Thousands  of  our 
brethren  would  still  have  to  die,  if  we  meet  the  tyrant  in  open 
combat.  We  must  do  this,  if  we  cannot  get  rid  of  him  in 
any  other  way.  But  before  resorting  to  it,  before  permitting 
Germany  to  be  again  devastated  by  revolution  and  war,  we 
will  try  another  way,  the  course  pursued  by  the  Roman. 
When  the  tyrant  is  dead,  Germany  will  be  free  and  happy, 
and  the  exultation  of  his  countrymen  will  console  the  con- 
science of  him  whom  the  world  will  call  an  assassin." 

"That  is  true,"  said  the  three  conspirators. 

"Yes,"  responded  the  president.  "There  are  four  of  us 
here.  Two  shall  avenge  Germany.  It  is  necessary  that  two 
should  undertake  the  task,  for  if  one  should  be  unsuccessful, 
the  other  may  not." 

"  But  there  are  only  three  of  us  here,"  said  one  of  the  dis- 
guised men. 

"No, "replied  the  president,  "there  are  four;   I  am  the 


THE  CONSPIRATORS.  365 

fourth.  You  must  not  prevent  me  from  participating  in  a 
deed  requiring  intrepid  courage,  and  which  cannot  but  involve 
incalculable  dangers.  I  insist  on  taking  part  in  it." 

"  But  the  league  stands  in  need  of  your  services.  What 
would  become  of  us  if  you  should  draw  the  lot,  and,  in  carry- 
ing out  the  plan,  fail  and  be  arrested?" 

"  In  that  case,  brethren,  you  will  announce  on  the  day  of 
the  next  meeting,  when  the  chair  remains  unoccupied,  that 
the  president  has  died  in  the  cause,  and  you  will  elect  another 
chief.  But,  a  truce  to  further  objections!  Let  us  draw  lots. 
Here  are  two  white  and  two  black  balls  which  I  put  into  the. 
urn.  Those  who  draw  the  black  balls  will  leave  together,  and 
jointly  concert  a  plan  for  the  death  of  the  tyrant.  The  blo\v 
must  be  struck  in  the  course  of  a  week,  while  he  is  still  it 
this  city." 

"  It  must  be,"  echoed  the  three,  in  solemn  tones. 

"  But  let  us  swear  not  to  attempt  any  life  but  his — that  no 
innocent  blood  be  shed — that  the  dagger  or  the  pistol  be 
aimed  at  him  alone.  Let  us  swear  not  to  undertake  any  thing 
that  might  endanger  others!" 

"  We  do  so  swear,  for  to  destroy  any  but  the  tyrant  would 
be  murder.  Now  let  us  extinguish  all  the  lights  save  one,  and 
simultaneously  draw  a  ball  from  the  urn." 

"Lift  up  your  hands  and  let  us  see  the  balls!"  said  the 
president.  There  was  a  white  ball  in  his  own  hand.  "  It  was 
not  God's  will.  He  did  not  choose  me,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh. 

"He  has  chosen  us,"  said  the  two  who  held  black  balls. 
They  grasped  each  other's  hands,  and  their  eyes  seemed  to 
read  each  other's  thoughts.  He  who  had  drawn  the  other 
white  ball  inclined  his  head  and  left  the  room. 

"  We  go  together;  our  ways  do  not  separate,"  said  the  twc 
who  had  drawn  the  black  balls,  and  walked  arm  in  arm 
toward  the  door. 

The  president  gazed  after  them  until  they  had  disappeared. 
Extinguishing  the  last  taper,  he  groped  cautiously  along  until 
he  reached  the  door,  and  stepping  out  into  a  corridor,  has- 
tened across  it  to  the  landing  of  a  staircase,  at  the  foot  of 
which  a  small  dim  lamp  was  burning.  Before  descending,  he 
took  off  the  mask  that  had  covered  his  face,  and  the  cloak  in 
which  he  had  been  wrapped,  and,  rolling  them  into  a  bundle, 
he  concealed  it  in  a  drawer  fixed  under  the  first  step  of  the 
staircase,  and  which  was  visible  only  to  initiated  eyes.  In  the 
flickering  light  of  the  lamp  the  beholder  might  have  discerned 


366  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

his  tall,  slender  form,  and  youthful  countenance,  whose  manly 
expression  contrasted  with  his  long  golden  hair.  He  hastened 
down-stairs,  and  crossed  the  hall  into  the  street.  The  noise 
had  ceased,  and  nearly  all  the  lights  had  hurnt  out.  As  he 
turned  a  corner  rapidly,  he  was  attracted  by  a  transparency. 
The  inscription,  in  large  letters  on  a  crimson  ground,  read: 
"  GaVs  jetzt  noch  einen  Goiter 'sohn,  so  ware  es  Napoleon! " * 

A  flash  of  anger  burst  from  the  youth's  eyes,  and  he  raised 
his  clinched  fist  menacingly.  "  You  miserable  dogs,"  he  said, 
in  a  low  voice,  "when  the  true  Germans  come,  you  will  hide 
yourselves  in  the  dust!"  He  walked  rapidly  until  he  reached 
a  small  house  at  the  lower  end  of  the  street,  and  softly  enter- 
ing, glided  across  the  hall,  cautiously  ascended  the  staircase, 
halted  in  front  of  a  door  up-stairs,  and  gently  rapped.  It 
opened  immediately,  and  a  young  woman  of  surpassing  beauty 
appeared  on  the  threshold.  "  Oh,  Frederick,  is  it  really  you?" 
she  whispered,  embracing  him.  "  You  are  mine  again,  be- 
loved Frederick !  You  did  not  draw  the  fatal  lot !  Heaven 
refused  the  sacrifice  which  you  were  ready  to  make." 

"  It  is  so,  Anna,"  said  the  young  man.  "  But  why  do  yon 
weep,  dearest?  You  were  formerly  so  courageous,  and  ap- 
proved my  determination  to  engage  in  that  desperate  enter- 
prise!" 

She  clasped  her  hands,  lifting  her  large  black  eyes  to 
heaven.  "Abraham  was  ready  to  sacrifice  his  son,"  she  said, 
"  but  when  his  offering  was  not  accepted,  he  was  thankful. 
Thus  I  also  thank  and  praise  God  at  this  moment !" 

"Yes,"  said  the  young  man,  gloomily,  "He  rejected  my 
offering,  and  for  the  present  I  am  free.  I  come  to  take  leave 
of  you,  beloved  Anna;  I  must  depart  this  very  night." 

"You  are  going  to  leave  me!"  she  exclaimed  in  dismay. 
"  Ah,  you  have  deceived  me,  then — you  have  drawn  the  fatal 
lot !  You  come  to  bid  me  farewell,  because  you  are  to  perpe- 
trate the  terrible  deed !" 

"  No,  Anna.  I  swear  to  you  by  our  love  I  am  free !  I  did 
not  draw  the  lot.  But  I  must  go  to  Leipsic.  My  mission 
here  has  been  accomplished,  and  I  must  be  about  my  business. 
The  president  of  the  patriotic  brethren  must  descend  from 
his  exalted  position,  and  once  more  become  a  poor  insignifi- 
cant merchant.  But  I  know,  and  predict  it,  Anna,  there 
will  be  a  day  when  Germany  will  choose  me  to  deliver  her 
from  the  tyrant.  A  presentiment  tells  me  that  the  two  who 

*  "  If  there  were  now  a  son  of  the  gods,  he  would  be  Napoleon." 


THE  FESTIVITIES  OF  ERFURT  AND  WEIMAR.         367 

hare  drawn  the  black  balls  to-day  will  not  succeed.  Their 
hands  trembled  when  they  held  up  the  balls,  and  I  saw  that 
they  started  when  they  perceived  them  to  be  black.  Yes, 
they  will  fail;  but  I  shall  not!  It  is  reserved  for  me;  a 
shout  of  joy  will  resound  throughout  the  country,  and  the 
people  will  exclaim,  'We  are  delivered  from  the  tyrant;  Ger- 
many is  free,  and  the  name  of  our  deliverer  is  Frederick 
Staps!" 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE   FESTIVITIES   OF   ERFURT   AND   WEIMAR. 

FESTIVITIES  were  succeeded  by  festivities,  amusements  by 
amusements,  and  these  days  of  Erfurt  glided  by  in  friendship, 
pleasure,  and  love.  Napoleon  was  the  host.  It  was  he  who 
received  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  the  kings,  the  dukes,  and 
the  princes,  with  their  legions  of  courtiers  and  cavaliers,  and 
treated  all  the  members  of  these  different  petty  courts  with 
imperial  munificence.  In  return  there  were  universal  mani- 
festations of  homage  and  devotion.  The  kings  and  princes 
every  morning  attended  his  levee.  He  arranged  the  enter- 
tainments that  were  to  take  place,  and  designated  those  who 
were  to  participate  in  them.  All  bowed  to  him,  even  the 
Emperor  Alexander  himself.  The  most  cordial  feeling  pre- 
vailed between  the  two  emperors.  They  were  always  seen  arm 
in  arm,  like  two  loving  youths,  jealous  of  every  minute  that 
separated  them.  At  the  dinner-table,  at  the  theatre,  at  the 
balls  and  concerts,  they  always  came  together  into  the  proud 
society  that  awaited  them.  At  dinner,  Napoleon,  playing  the 
polite  and  obliging  host,  always  had  Alexander  placed  at  his 
right.  At  the  theatre,  directly  behind  the  orchestra,  were 
two  gilded  easy-chairs  on  a  small  platform,  and  the  two  em- 
perors were  enthroned  on  them  near  each  other ;  on  the  floor 
behind  this  stood  four  small  arm-chairs,  occupied  by  the 
Kings  of  Bavaria,  Wiirtembcrg,  Saxony,  and  AVestphalia;  and 
in  the  rear,  on  common  chairs,  sat  the  dukes,  princes,  counts, 
and  the  large  array  of  cavaliers  and  courtiers.  The  queens 
and  princesses  were  seated  in  the  proscenium-boxes  on  both 
sides  of  the  stage,  and  the  ladies  of  the  Jiantc-roU'c  in  their 
rich  toilets  and  wealth  of  jewelry  filled  the  first  tier. 

Napoleon  kept  the  promise  he  had  made  to  Talma:  that 
celebrated  actor  played  before  a  pit  of  kings,  and  it  was,  per- 


368  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

haps,  this  fact,  or  the  expectant  face  of  Napoleon,  whose  eyes 
were  on  him,  or  the  presence  of  Alexander,  who  was  never 
weary  of  praising  him — it  was  probably  all  this  that  enkindled 
the  actor's  enthusiasm.  Never  before  had  Talma  played  more 
effectively — never  before  had  he  assumed  such  a  dignity  for 
enthroned  greatness,  or  better  studied  its  bearing  in  adversity. 
His  expression  of  hatred,  love,  and  grief,  in  his  impersona- 
tions, were  never  more  famous  than  in  these  gala-days  of  Er- 
furt. A  sort  of  inspiration  pervaded  the  great  artist,  and  his 
enthusiasm  infected  the  spectators,  especially  Alexander,  who 
was  carried  away  by  Talma's  passion  in  the  representation  of 
"  CEdipus."  When  the  actor  exclaimed,  "  The  friendship  of  a 
great  man  is  a  boon  of  the  gods!"  the  Eussian  emperor  bent 
over  Napoleon,  and  seizing  his  hand  pressed  it  against  his 
breast.  A  murmur  of  applause  was  heard ;  all  appeared  as- 
tonished at  this  public  demonstration;  even  (Edipus  on  the 
stage  seemed  to  be  impressed,  and  his  voice  trembled.  Napo- 
leon alone  remained  grave  and  calm,  not  a  feature  changed  or 
betrayed  the  satisfaction  that  his  heart  could  not  but  feel  at 
this  moment ;  he  thanked  Alexander  only  by  a  glance,  and  his 
attention  seemed  to  be  again  directed  to  the  stage. 

Late  at  night  Napoleon  found,  as  usual,  a  letter  from  his 
minister  Champagny.  "  Old  Eomanzoff  insists  on  the  prompt 
fulfilment  of  the  promises  of  Tilsit,"  wrote  the  minister. 
"  Constantinople — nothing  but  Constantinople — seems  to  the 
stubborn  Eussian  an  equivalent  for  Spain.  I  believe  the  per- 
emptory orders  only  of  his  master  will  subdue  this  obstinacy." 

"Ah,"  murmured  Napoleon,  crumpling  the  paper  in  his 
hand,  "  I  must  put  a  stop  to  this.  We  must  arrive  at  a 
definite  result.  I  shall  utter  the  decisive  word  to-morrow!" 

On  the  following  morning  the  kings  and  princes  appeared 
in  vain  in  the  anteroom  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  to  attend 
his  levee.  He  had  risen  at  an  unusually  early  hour,  and, 
allured  by  the  sunny  autumnal  morning,  visited  his  friend 
Alexander,  who  had  just  risen  when  Napoleon,  unannounced, 
entered  with  a  smiling  face. 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  rushing  toward  him,  with  a 
cry  of  exultation,  and  embracing  him  affectionately,  "  sire,  I 
dreamed  of  you  all  night ;  you  were  here  at  my  side,  while  I 
was  sleeping,  and  all  seemed  bright,  but  when  I  opened  my 
eyes  and  did  not  see  you,  the  room  appeared  dark,  although 
the  sun  was  shining.  But  now  you  are  here,  and  my  dreams 
are  realized." 


THE  FESTIVITIES  OF  ERFURT  AND  WEIMAR. 

Napoleon's  face  suddenly  turned  gloomy,  and  the  smile  dis- 
appeared from  his  lips.  "I  also  had  a  dream,"  he  said, 
gravely.  "  It  seemed  to  me  as  though  I  lay  on  a  bed  of  flow- 
ers, and  two  stars  were  twinkling  above  me,  and  as  they  came 
nearer  I  saw  that  they  were  not  stars,  but  bright  eyes  beaming 
in  a  manly  face,  and  looking  at  me  with  tenderness.  I  was 
fascinated.  I  raised  myself  as  if  borne  on  angel-wings,  and 
stretched  out  my  arms  toward  the  approaching  form.  Sud- 
denly I  uttered  a  scream;  the  friend  had  been  changed  into  a 
wolf  that  rushed  toward  me,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  mine,  tore 
my  breast  and  fed  upon  my  heart.  Oh,  I  was  in  horrible 
pain — not  imaginary  but  real — for  I  screamed  so  loudly  that 
Constant,  my  valet  de  chambre,  hastened  from  the  adjoining 
room  and  awakened  me.  Even  now  that  I  think  of  it  I 
tremble,  and  sadness  fills  my  soul."  He  bent  his  head  on  his 
breast,  and,  folding  his  hands  behind  him,  paced  the  room 
slowly. 

Alexander  looked  smilingly  at  him,  but  approaching,  said: 
"  Sire,  why  this  melancholy?  In  truth,  when  looking  at  you, 
one  might  think,  my  august  friend,  that  you  believed  in 
dreams." 

"I  do,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  quickly  raising  his  head. 
"  Dreams  are  revelations  from  on  high !  Had  Julius  Caesar 
believed  in  his  dreams,  and  in  the  prophecies  of  the  astrolo- 
gers, he  would  not  have  fallen  by  the  daggers  of  assassins." 

"  But  how  will  your  majesty  interpret  the  dream  that  tor- 
mented you  last  night?"  asked  Alexander. 

Napoleon  bent  a  strange  look  on  his  frank  countenance. 
"Alexander,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "could  you  ever  trans- 
form yourself  into  a  wolf,  and  tear  out  my  heart?" 

"I,  Napoleon,  I?"  ejaculated  Alexander,  starting  back  in 
dismay.  "  Your  majesty,  then,  does  not  believe  in  my  friend- 
ship, in  the  profound  admiration  for  you  that  fills  my  soul? 
All  I  have  said  and  done  has  then  been  in  vain!  Instead  of 
having  won  your  esteem,  your  majesty  distrusts  me,  and  be- 
lieves the  follies  of  the  imagination  in  sleep  rather  than  the 
protestations  of  reason,  interest,  and  friendship!" 

"No,  no,"  said  Napoleon,  affectionately,  and  almost  touched 
by  the  profound  grief  depicted  in  Alexander's  countenance, 
"  I  believe  that  your  majesty  returns  a  little  the  love  I  feel  for 
you.  I  believe  in  your  noble  heart,  in  spite  of  all  dreams." 

"And  I  swear  to  your  majesty  that  you  may  believe  in  me," 
exclaimed  Alexander.  "  My  whole  policy,  the  new  course 


370  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

upon  which  I  have  entered,  will  prove  to  you,  more  convinc- 
ingly than  words,  sire,  that  I  am  most  anxious  to  establish  a 
firm  alliance  between  Eussia  and  France;  oh,  believe  me,  sire, 
I  gladly  acknowledge  you  as  my  superior ;  all  promptings  of 
jealousy  are  extinct  in  my  heart;  and  when,  in  the  face  of 
the  enormous  territorial  aggrandizements  of  France,  I  desire 
an  enlargement  of  Eussia,  too,  I  do  so  not  for  my  sake,  but 
in  order  to  satisfy  my  people,  that  they  may  bear  more 
patiently  your  operations  in  Spain.  For  my  part,  I  approve 
all  you  have  done  in  that  country.  King  Charles  and  his  son 
Ferdinand  have  abundantly  deserved  their  present  fate  by 
their  incapacity  and  baseness,  and  I  do  not  pity  them.  But 
one  must  comprehend  the  system  of  the  great  Napoleon  as 
clearly  and  thoroughly  as  I  do,  to  be  able  to  pass  over  the 
great  catastrophes  which  your  majesty  has  caused  the  world  to 
witness.  My  people,  and,  above  all,  my  nobility,  have  not 
yet  progressed  so  far  as  that,  and  hence  the  attention  of  the 
Eussians  should  be  turned  to  important  changes  in  the  Orient 
that  they  may  look  more  indifferently  at  what  you  are  under- 
taking in  the  Occident.  As  for  myself,  I  am  your  most 
faithful  friend,  and  I  have  proved  it  to  your  majesty  by  be- 
coming the  enemy  of  your  enemies.  In  accordance  with  your 
wishes,  I  have  declared  war  against  England,  and  shall  prob- 
ably soon  have  to  do  the  same  against  Austria,  for  I  shall  re- 
quire her  in  the  most  energetic  manner  to  explain  why  she  is 
secretly  arming;  and,  if  her  explanations  should  not  be  satis- 
factory, draw  the  sword  against  her.  Then,  I  suppose,  your 
majesty  will  believe  in  my  friendship?" 

"Oh,  I  believe  in  it  now,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  pressing 
the  proffered  hand  of  Alexander.  "  For  this  friendship  is  my 
hope.  United,  we  shall  be  able  to  carry  out  the  grand 
schemes  which  we  formed  at  Tilsit.  Striding  across  the 
world,  we  shall  lay  it  at  our  feet,  and  one  day  there  will  be 
only  two  thrones ;  but  in  the  beginning  we  must  proceed  care- 
fully. It  took  the  Creator  six  days  to  make  the  world,  and 
each  day,  most  likely,  comprehended  a  vast  number  of  our 
years.  We  shall  create  our  world  in  six  years,  and  then  we 
shall  look  at  it,  and  pronounce  it  'very  good.'  But  caution 
is  indispensable,  for  our  empires  labor  under  many  burdens. 
You  are  waging  war  in  Finland,  and  I  am  doing  so  in  Spain. 
Prudence  advises  us  not  to  increase  these  embarrassments  by 
seeking  at  this  moment  for  Eussia  an  aggrandizement  which 
Would  fill  the  world  with  astonishment,  and  reecho  like  a  war- 


THE  FESTIVITIES  OF  ERFURT  AND  WEIMAR.         371 

cry  throughout  Europe.  Let  the  dissolution  of  Turkey  and 
her  annexation  to  Russia  be  the  keystone  of  our  creation,  the 
last  work  of  the  sixth  day.  Let  us  erect  the  new  empires  on 
solid  foundations,  which  all  the  storms  of  this  world  may  not 
shake!" 

"When  Constantinople  is  mine,  I  shall  not  be  afraid,"  ex- 
claimed Alexander,  ardently. 

"Constantinople  belongs  to  the  sixth  day  of  creation,"  said 
Napoleon,  "  but  we  are  only  at  the  second.  Tilsit  was  the 
first,  Erfurt  is  the  second." 

"  And  on  the  second  day  you  take  from  me  what  you  prom- 
ised on  the  first?"  asked  Alexander,  whose  brow  was  losing  its 
serenity. 

"No,  I  only  want  to  secure  it  to  you,"  said  Napoleon — " to 
give  a  firm  base  to  the  edifice  of  our  future.  If  your  majesty 
should  take  possession  of  Turkey  to-day,  one-half  of  Europe 
would  arm  to-morrow  to  take  it  from  you,  and  at  this  moment 
Russia  is  unable  to  brave  so  many  enemies.  Austria  would 
rise  against  you,  for,  whatever  offers  you  might  make,  she 
would  prefer  war  to  a  partition  of  Turkey.  England  would 
see  her  commerce  endangered,  and  enter  into  the  contest  from 
calculations  of  self-interest.  Besides,  Turkey  herself  would 
wage  war  with  the  fanaticism  of  her  menaced  nationality. 
Where  are  the  armies  which  your  majesty  could  oppose  to  the 
united  forces  of  England,  Austria,  and  Turkey?  It  is  true, 
you  have  an  army  on  the  Danube,  sufficiently  strong  to  oppose 
Turkey,  but  too  weak  if  the  whole  nation  should  rise.  Your 
principal  army  is  in  Finland,  and  you  have  no  troops  to  war 
against  Austria.  I  alone,  therefore — for,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  I  shall  remain  your  faithful  ally — I  should  have  to 
struggle  with  Austria,  England,  Spain,  and,  perhaps,  with 
the  whole  of  Germany.  To  be  sure,  I  might  do  so,  for  I  have 
sufficient  power  to  cope  with  all  my  enemies.  But  would  it 
be  wise  to  enter  at  once  into  enterprises  so  vast?  And  what 
for?  To  pursue  a  chimerical  project  which,  how  grand 
soever  it  may  be,  is  not  attainable  at  this  time." 

"Alas!"  sighed  Alexander,  "I  see  that  your  majesty  is 
right,  and  that  mountain  difficulties  rise  between  me  and  my 
cherished  project!  I  shall  have  to  return  empty-handed  to 
my  ancestors,  and  when  Peter  the  Great  asks  me,  'What  have 
you  done  to  fulfil  my  will?  Where  are  the  provinces  that  you 
have  added  to  my  empire?'  I  must  hang  iny  head  in  con- 
fusion and  say  that — " 


378  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"No,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  in  a  loud  and  solemn  voice; 
"you  will  proudly  raise  your  head  and  reply:  'Look  at  Rus- 
sia !  I  have  made  her  great  at  home  and  abroad.  I  have 
given  to  my  people  civilization  and  culture,  and  added  to  my 
empire  new  provinces  which  promote  its  greatness  and  power 
more  substantially  than  Constantinople  itself  would  have 
done.  The  possession  of  that  city  is  a  dream.  I  have  an- 
nexed to  my  country  real  provinces. '  That  is  what  you  will 
reply  to  your  great  ancestor,  sire,  provided  you  go  to  him  be- 
fore having  arrived  at  your  sixth  day  of  creation. " 

Alexander  was  speechless  for  a  moment,  as  if  fascinated  by 
Napoleon's  countenance,  beaming  with  energy  and  determi- 
nation. 

"What  provinces  does  your  majesty  allude  to?"  he  asked, 
dreamily. 

"They  lie  at  the  feet  of  Russia,  and  seem  only  to  wait  for 
your  majesty  to  pick  them  up.  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  you 
will  present  as  new  crown  jewels  to  your  empire.  They  are 
substantial  realities  in  place  of  visionary  wishes;  solid  posses- 
sions far  more  important  than  Constantinople." 

"That  is  true,"  exclaimed  Alexander.  "I  have  myself 
thought  so  for  a  long  time,  but  I  dare  not  avow  it,  because  I 
was  afraid  your  majesty  would  not  agree  with  me." 

"France  knows  no  envy,"  said  the  emperor,  "and  Napoleon 
loves  his  friend  Alexander;  he  will  gladly  grant  to  him  what 
he  desires,  and  what  is  attainable.  Take  Moldavia  and  Wal- 
lachia, sire!" 

"  You  grant  them  to  me,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  "  and  it  is 
no  empty  promise,  but  a  definite  and  immutable  agreement?" 

"  I  say,  sire,  take  them  at  once,  and  woe  to  those  who  would 
dare  touch  your  new  possessions!" 

"I  thank  you,  sire,"  Alexander  said.  "You  have  given 
me  a  proof  of  your  friendship  to-day,  and  old  Romanzoff  will 
have  to  acknowledge  that  he  is  wrong  in  thinking  that  you 
only  intended  to  amuse  us  with  idle  promises.  Ah,  he  is  a 
hard  head,  and  I  believe  your  Minister  Champagny  cannot  get 
along  with  him  very  well." 

"  That  is  so,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  laughing,  and  Alexander 
joined  heartily  in  his  mirth. 

"He  will  now  demand  guaranties,"  said  Alexander,  still 
laughing.  "  He  is  so  distrustful  that  he  believes  in  no  words, 
though  from  heaven.  My  old  Romanzoff  believes  only  in 
black  and  white." 


THE  FESTIVITIES  OF  ERFURT  AND  WEIMAR.         373 

"  We  will  so  guarantee  Moldavia  to  him,"  said  Napoleon. 

"Oh,  not  for  my  sake,"  exclaimed  Alexander,  carelessly. 
"Your  majesty's  word  is  amply  sufficient  for  me;  let  Roman- 
zoff and  Champagny  quarrel  about  the  formalities." 

"  I  will  come  to  the  assistance  of  poor  Champagny,"  said 
Napoleon,  "  if  your  majesty,  in  return,  will  be  kind  enough  to 
make  stubborn  Romanzoff  somewhat  more  tractable.  You 
have  already  occupied  these  provinces;  it  will,  therefore,  be 
easy  for  you  to  annex  them.  France  will  give  her  consent 
by  a  formal  treaty,  and  not  only  engage  to  recognize  this  an- 
nexation so  far  as  she  herself  is  concerned,  but  also  to  compel 
Turkey,  Austria,  and  England,  to  acknowledge  it.  Your 
majesty,  therefore,  will  break  the  armistice  with  Turkey,  and 
advance  your  army  to  the  foot  of  the  Balkan,  then  to  Adrian- 
ople,  and,  if  need  be,  to  Constantinople,  in  order  to  wrest 
these  territories  from  the  Porte.  In  case  Austria  should  in- 
tervene, we  shall  both  declare  war  against  her.  As  for  Eng- 
land, we  are  already  at  war  with  her.  It  will  only  be 
necessary  for  me  to  give  her  a  bloody  defeat  in  Sapin  to  ren- 
der her  insensible  to  any  enterprises  we  may  enter  into  on 
the  continent.  All  this  we  stipulate  not  only  verbally,  but 
in  writing.  Will  that  satisfy  your  majesty?" 

"  Me?  I  am  satisfied  with  your  majesty's  word,"  exclaimed 
Alexander. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Napoleon,  with  a  smile,  "the  question 
is,  Will  your  minister  be  satisfied?" 

"Of  course,  he  will;  and,  moreover,  I  shall  command  him 
to  raise  no  further  objections.  Let  Champaguy  and  Roman- 
zoff  draw  up  the  treaty;  it  will  then  be  merely  necessary  for 
us  to  sign  it,  and  the  whole  matter  is  settled.  Our  friend- 
ship will  have  been  rendered  more  intimate  and  lasting  by 
new  bonds,  which  nothing  in  the  world  will  be  able  to  break." 

"As  to  our  other  plans,"  said  Napoleon,  "  we  shall  never 
lose  sight  of  them.  Every  day  we  draw  nearer  to  their  fulfil- 
ment. There  is  yet  a  vast  future  before  us  in  which  to  ac- 
complish our  purposes  with  regard  to  the  Orient,  and  to 
remodel  its  political  affairs.  Romanzoff  is  aged,  and  hence, 
impatient  to  enjoy  what  he  desires.  But  you  are  young:  you 
can  wait." 

"  Romanzoff  is  a  Russian  of  the  old  school,"  said  Alexander, 
smiling.  "  He  has  passions  and  inclinations  from  which  I  am 
free.  I  attach  a  higher  value  to  civilizing  than  enlarging  my 
empire.  Hence,  I  desire  the  provinces  of  the  Danube  more 


374  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

for  my  nation  than  for  myself.  I  shall  be  able  to  wait 
patiently  until  our  plans  can  be  carried  into  effect.  But  you, 
my  noble  friend,  you  ought  to  enjoy  in  tranquillity  the  great 
things  which  you  have  accomplished,  and  no  longer  expose 
yourself  to  the  danger  of  war.  Have  you  not  obtained  glory 
and  power  enough?  Alexander  and  Caesar  gained  no  more 
laurels  than  you!  Be  happy,  and  let  us  leave  the  execution 
of  our  projects  to  the  future." 

"  Yes,  let  us  do  so,"  replied  Napoleon.  "  I  am  also  longing 
for  repose.  I  am  tired  of  conquest ;  it  has  charms  for  me  no 
longer,  and  battle-fields  seem  to  me  what  they  are — the  grave- 
yards of  brave  men  prematurely  taken  from  their  country  and 
their  families.  No  more  war!  Peace  with  the  whole  world, 
made  more  desirable  by  the  friendship  of  Alexander!"  He 
offered  his  hand  with  that  smile  which  no  one  could  with- 
stand. "  Oh !"  he  continued,  "  I  am  so  happy  at  having  at 
length  arrived  at  an  understanding  with  you,  and  strengthened 
our  alliance,  that  I  wish  your  majesty  had  some  desire  that  I 
might  grant,  and  which  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  fulfil. 
Is  there  nothing  at  all  that  you  could  demand  of  me?" 

"Yes,  sire,  there  is,"  responded  Alexander,  "and  I  have 
both  a  wish  and  a  prayer  to  address  your  majesty.  Sire,  my 
ally,  the  poor  King  of  Prussia,  and  his  noble  consort,  are  still 
living  in  exile.  I  saw  them,  with  your  consent,  on  passing 
through  Konigsberg,  and  confess  that  I  promised  to  intercede 
for  them,  and  procure  an  alleviation  of  their  unfortunate 
condition." 

"An  alleviation  of  their  unfortunate  condition!"  exclaimed 
Napoleon,  frowning.  "  Do  they  not  owe  their  present  fate 
entirely  to  themselves?  Why  do  they  not  pay  punctually  the 
contributions  which  I  have  imposed  upon  them?" 

"  Sire,  because  they  cannot !  Prussia,  exhausted,  and  re- 
duced to  one-half  of  her  former  territory,  is  unable  to  pay  war 
contributions  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions  of 
dollars,  in  the  short  space  of  two  years,  and  to  feed,  besides, 
a  French  army  of  forty  thousand  men.  Your  majesty  ought  to 
be  magnanimous,  and  restore  at  least  a  semblance  of  indepen- 
dence to  my  poor  ally,  by  putting  an  end  to  the  occupation.'' 

"  If  I  do  so,  Prussia  would  think  no  lorfger  of  fulfilling  her 
obligations  to  me,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "  Instead  of  paying 
the  war  contributions,  she  would  be  foolish  enough  to  rise  in 
open  hostility  against  me.  Queen  Louisa  hates  me;  she  will 
never  cease  to  intrigue  against  me,  and  to  instigate  her  hus- 


THE  FESTIVITIES  OF  ERFURT  AND  WEIMAR.        375 

band  to  pursue  a  course  hostile  to  me.  She  surrounds  herself 
and  her  husband  by  men  who  share  her  sentiments,  and  are 
plotting  to  revolutionize  Prussia — nay,  all  Germany.  There 
is,  for  instance,  a  cert- in  Baron  von  Stein,  whom  the  king 
appointed  minister  at  the  request  >f  the  queen,  and  who  is 
nothing  but  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  this  intriguing  woman. 
That  Stein  is  a  bad  and  dangerous  man ;  he  is  at  the  head  of 
secret  societies,  int1  I  shall  immediately  take  steps  to  render 
him  harmles  H  and  the  queen  alone  make  Prussia  oppose 
me,  and  refuse  paying  the  stipulated  contributions." 

"Sire,"  said  Alexander,  almost  imploringly,  "I  repeat  to 
your  majesty,  Prussia  is  unable  to  pay  the  enormous  amount 
which  has  >ven  been  increased  after  the  conclusion  of  the 
treaty  of  Tilsit,  and,  moreover,  in  the  short  space  of  two  years. 
Oh,  your  majesty,  the  fate  of  the  royal  family  of  Prussia  is 
truly  pitiable  and  weighs  down  my  soul  with  remorse.  Do  for 
my  sake  what  you  are  unwilling  to  do  for  the  sake  of  Prussia. 
Let  me  not  return  without  consolation  to  that  mourning  royal 
family.  Let  me  enjoy  the  triumph  of  proving  to  them  that 
my  words  and  intercession  were  able  to  obtain  from  your 
majesty  what  neither  the  queen's  letter,  nor  all  the  solicita- 
tions of  Prince  William,  and  of  the  Prussian  diplomatists,  had 
been  able  to  accomplish !  Oh,  sire,  you  see  I  am  vain,  and 
would  like  to  demonstrate  your  friendship  for  me." 

Napoleon's  countenance  grew  milder  while  Alexander  was 
impressively  uttering  these  words.  "Sire,  "he  said,  "  who 
could  withstand  your  grace  and  magnanimity?  I  wished  a 
few  minutes  ago  to  be  allowed  to  grant  you  some  request,  diffi- 
cult for  me  to  fulfil,  in  order  to  give  you  a  proof  of  my  re- 
gard! Well,  your  majesty  has  really  asked  something  very 
difficult  for  me  to  grant.  But  I  will  comply  for  your  sake, 
sire!  I  will  deduct  twenty  millions  from  the  sum  to  be  paid 
by  Prussia,  extend  the  time  in  which  the  contributions  are  to 
be  paid  from  two  to  three  years,  and  withdraw  my  troops  and 
officials  in  the  course  of  six  months.  Is  your  majesty  satisfied 
with  this,  and  will  you  regard  it  as  a  proof  of  my  friend- 
ship?" 

"  It  is  a  proof  of  your  friendship  and  generosity,  and  I 
thank  your  majesty,"  exclaimed  Alexander.  "  Oh,  how  happy 
I  shall  be  when  on  my  return  I  announce  these  glad  tidings 
to  the  royal  couple!  Ah,  my  poor  allies  have  suffered  a  great 
deal,  and  if  your  majesty  does  not  object,  I  should  like  to  in- 
vite King  Frederick  William  and  his  consort,  next  winter,  to 


376  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

spend  a  few  weeks  at  St.  Petersburg.  Does  your  majesty 
approve?" 

Napoleon  cast  a  quick  and  searching  glance  at  Alexander. 
"  I  do  not  assume  to  decide  whom  your  majesty  should  hospit- 
ably receive,"  he  said,  "  and  I  confide  in  your  friendship — you 
are  henceforth  my  ally.  Get  the  King  of  Prussia  to  join  this 
alliance,  as  the  latter  induced  you  to  join  the  alliance  against 
me ;  that  would  indeed  greatly  promote  the  welfare  of  Freder- 
ick William,  and  put  an  end  to  the  intrigues  of  his  queen. 
But  now,  sire,  a  truce  to  politics  and  business!  We  are 
agreed  and  shall  be  united  in  peace  as  in  war.  Our  business 
is  accomplished,  and  the  days  we  still  spend  here  must  be  ex- 
clusively devoted  to  pleasure  and  friendly  intercourse.  The 
Duke  of  Weimar  would  like  to  receive  us  for  a  few  days  at 
his  capital,  to  arrange  a  chase  and  a  ball.  Suppose  we  go 
thither  this  afternoon  and  spend  two  days?  Would  it  be 
•agreeable  to  you?" 

"  I  would  accompany  your  majesty  anywhere,  were  it  into 
Orcus,"  exclaimed  Alexander.  "Let  us  go  to  Weimar!" 

"  And  if  you  please,  sire,  to  Jena  also.  I  should  like  to 
show  the  battle-field  to  your  majesty." 

"  And  I  should  like  to  learn  from  your  majesty  how  to  win 
such  laurels.  I  follow  you  as  a  pupil." 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

NAPOLEON    AND    GOETHE. 

ON  his  return  from  the  early  visit  he  had  paid  to  the  Em- 
peror of  Russia,  Napoleon  immediately  went  to  his  cabinet 
and  sent  for  Minister  Champagny,  whom  he  met  with  unusual 
animation;  and  now,  that  he  d-  'ed  it  no  longer  necessary  to 
mask  his  countenance,  it  was  beaming  with  joy.  "  Cham- 
pagny," he  said,  "it  will  be  no  longer  necessary  for  you  to 
send  letters  to  me.  The  emperor  Alexander  has  accepted  my 
offers,  and  Romanzoff  will  have  to  hang  up  his  'cat's  tongue' 
in  the  smoke-house.  For  the  present  the  appetite  of  the 
Russian  Emperor  for  new  territories  has  been  satisfied  with 
the  provinces  of  the  Danube,  and  he  will  compel  his  minister 
to  yield.  The  stubborn  old  fellow  will  have  to  give  way,  but, 
we  are  obliged  to  give  him  our  promises  in  black  and  white. 
I  go  this  afternoon  with  the  emperor  to  Weimar  to  spend  a 


NAPOLEON  AND  GOETHE.  377 

few  days.  You  may  in  the  mean  time  carry  on  the  negoti- 
ations with  Romanzoff  and  draw  up  the  treaty.  I  shall  send 
you  further  instructions  to-night." 

"  And  will  not  your  majesty  be  kind  enough  to  give  me  also 
instructions  as  to  the  course  I  am  to  pursue  toward  the  Aus- 
trian ambassador,  Count  Vincent?"  said  the  minister.  "  He 
overwhelms  me  every  day  with  questions  and  demands.  He 
is  very  anxious  to  obtain  an  interview  with  your  majesty,  to 
learn  from  your  own  lips  that  Austria  has  nothing  to  fear 
from  France,  and  that  your  majesty  believes  in  the  sincerity 
of  the  friendship  and  devotedness  of  his  master." 

"I  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  Austria!"  exclaimed  Napo- 
leon, frowning.  "I  know  her  perfidy;  I  know  that  she  is 
secretly  arming  to  attack  me  as  soon  as  she  believes  me  to  be 
embarrassed  by  the  events  in  Spain.  But  I  will  unmask  these 
hypocrites,  and  meet  them  with  open  visor.  I  will  wage  war 
against  them,  because  they  disdain  to  remain  at  peace  with 
me.  Now  that  I  am  sure  of  Russia,  I  am  no  longer  .afraid  of 
Austria,  for  Russia  will  assist  me  in  the  war  against  her,  or  at 
least  not  prevent  me  from  attacking  and  punishing  her  for 
her  insolence.  It  was  in  my  power  to  overthrow  that  mon- 
archy as  I  have  overthrown  those  of  Naples  and  Spain.  I  re- 
frained, and  Austria  is  indebted  to  me  for  her  existence. 
Now,  however,  I  am  inexorable,  and  when  I  once  more  make 
my  entry  into  Vienna,  it  will  be  as  dictator  prescribing  laws 
to  the  vanquished.  Austria  is  arming,  and  France  will  arm 
for  another  Austerlitz.  I  authorize  you  to  repeat  these  words 
to  Count  Vincent.  I  myself  .will  write  to  his  emperor  and  in- 
trust my  letter  to  the  ambassador.  Tell  him  so."  He  dis- 
missed the  minister  and  repaired  to  the  dining-room. 

Breakfast  was  ready,  and  had  been  served  on  a  round  table 
in  the  middle  of  the  room.  Talleyrand,  Berthier,  Savary, 
and  Daru,  received  the  emperor,  and  accompanied  him  to 
the  table,  not  to  participate  in  the  repast,  but  to  converse 
with  him,  as  Napoleon  liked  to  do  while  he  was  eating,  and  to 
reply  to  the  questions  which  he  addressed  now  to  one,  now  to 
another. 

"Well,  Daru,"  he  asked,  taking  his  seat,  "you  come  from 
Berlin?  What  about  the  payment  of  the  contributions?" 

"Ah,  sire,  the  prospects  are  very  discouraging,"  said  Daru, 
shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  More  rigorous  measures  will  prob- 
ably become  necessary  to  coerce  those  stubborn  Prussians, 
and — " 


378  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  door  opened,  and  Constant,  the  valet  de  chambre,  en- 
tered, whispering  a  few  words  to  Marshal  Berthier. 

The  marshal  approached  the  emperor,  who  was  engaged 
with  the  wing  of  a  chicken.  "  Sire,"  he  said,  "your  majesty 
ordered  M.  von  Goethe  to  appear  before  you  at  this  hour.  He 
is  in  the  anteroom." 

"Ah,  M.  von  Goethe,  the  great  German  poet,  the  author 
of  the  'Sorrows  of  Werther, '"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "Let 
him  come  in  immediately."  A  moment  later  Constant  an- 
nounced M.  von  Goethe.  Napoleon  was  still  sitting  at  the 
table ;  Talleyrand  was  standing  at  his  right ;  Daru,  Savary, 
and  Berthier,  at  his  left.  The  eyes  of  all  turned  toward  the 
door,  where  appeared  a  gentleman  of  high,  dignified  bearing. 
He  was  tall  and  vigorous,  like  a  German  oak ;  the  head  of  a 
Jupiter  surmounted  his  broad  shoulders  and  chest.  Time, 
with  its  wrinkling  hand,  had  tried  in  vain  to  deform  the  im- 
perishable beauty  of  that  countenance ;  age  could  not  touch 
the  charm  and  dignity  of  his  features;  the  grace  of  youth  still 
played  on  his  classic  lips,  and  the  ardor  of  a  young  heart  was 
beaming  from  his  dark  eyes  as  they  looked  calmly  at  the 
emperor. 

Napoleon,  continuing  to  eat,  beckoned  Goethe,  with  a  care- 
less wave  of  his  hand,  to  approach.  He  complied,  and  stood 
in  front  of  the  table,  opposite  the  emperor,  who  looked  up, 
and,  turning  with  an  expression  of  surprise  to  Talleyrand, 
pointed  to  Goethe,  and  exclaimed,  "Ah,  that  is  a  man!"* 
An  imperceptible  smile  overspread  the  poet's  countenance, 
and  he  bowed  in  silence. 

"How  old  are  you,  M.  von  Goethe?"  asked  Napoleon. 

"  Sire,  I  am  in  my  sixtieth  year." 

"  In  your  sixtieth  year,  and  yet  you  have  the  appearance  of 
a  youth !  Ah,  it  is  evident  that  perpetual  intercourse  with 
the  muses  has  imparted  external  youth  to  you." 

"  Sire,  that  is  true,"  exclaimed  Daru,  "  the  muse  of  Goethe 
is  that  of  youth,  beauty,  and  grace.  Germany  justly  calls 
him  her  greatest  poet,  and  does  homage  with  well-grounded 
enthusiasm  to  the  author  of  'Faust,'  of  'Werther,'  and  of  so 
many  other  master-pieces." 

"  I  believe  you  have  also  written  tragedies?"  asked  Napo- 
leon. 

*  "  VoilA  un  homme  !  "  These  words  created  a  great  sensation  at  the  time,  and 
were  highly  appreciated  by  the  admirers  of  Goethe,  as  well  as  by  the  great  poet  him- 
self. His  correspondence  with  friends  contains  numerous  allusions  to  them. — Vid« 
"  Kleiner's  Letters  to  and  from  Goethe,"  p.  325. 


NAPOLEON  AND  GOETHE.  379 

"Sire,  I  have  made  some  attempts,"  replied  Goethe,  smil- 
ing. "  But  the  applause  of  my  countrymen  cannot  blind  me  as 
to  the  real  value  of  my  dramas.  I  believe  it  is  very  difficult, 
if  not  impossible,  for  a  German  poet  to  write  real  tragedies, 
which  fulfil  the  higher  requirements  of  art,  and  withal  those 
of  the  stage.  I  must  confess  that  my  tragedies  are  not  so 
adapted." 

"Sire,"  said  Daru,  "  M.  von  Goethe  has  also  translated  Vol- 
taire's 'Mohammed.' ' 

"That  is  not  a  good  tragedy,"  said  Napoleon.  "Voltaire 
has  sinned  against  history  and  the  human  heart.  He  has 
prostituted  the  character  of  Mohammed  by  petty  intrigues. 
He  makes  a  man,  who  revolutionized  the  world,  act  like  an 
infamous  criminal  deserving  the  gallows.  Let  us  rather  speak 
of  Goethe's  own  work — of  the  'Sorrows  of  Werther. '  I  have 
read  it  many  times,  and  it  has  always  afforded  me  the  highest 
enjoyment;  it  accompanied  me  to  Egypt,  and  during  my 
campaigns  in  Italy,  and  it  is  therefore  but  just  that  I  should 
return  thanks  to  the  poet  for  the  many  pleasant  hours  he  has 
afforded  me." 

"Sire,  your  majesty,  at  this  moment,  amply  rewards  me," 
said  Goethe,  bowing  slightly. 

"  Your  'Werther '  is  indeed  a  work  full  of  the  most  exalted 
ideas,"  added  Napoleon;  "  it  contains  noble  views  of  life,  and 
depicts  the  weariness  and  disgust  which  all  high-minded 
characters  must  feel  on  being  forced  to  leave  their  sphere  and 
come  in  contact  with  the  gross  world.  You  have  described 
the  sufferings  of  your  hero  with  irresistible  eloquence,  and 
never,  perhaps,  has  a  poet  made  a  more  artistic  analysis  of 
love.  Let  me  tell  you,  however,  that  you  have  not  been  en- 
tirely consistent  in  the  work.  You  make  your  hero  die  not 
only  of  love,  but  of  wounded  ambition,  and  you  mention  ex- 
pressly that  the  injustice  he  met  with  at  the  hands  of  his 
official  superiors  was  a  wound  always  bleeding,  of  which  he 
suffered  even  in  the  presence  of  the  lady  whom  he  loved  so 
passionately.  That  is  not  quite  natural,  and  weakens  in  the 
mind  of  the  reader  the  comprehension  of  that  iuflueuce  which 
love  exerted  on  Werther.  Why  did  you  do  so?" 

Goethe  looked  almost  in  astonishment  at  the  emperor;  this 
unexpected  censure,  and  the  quick,  categorical  question,  had 
equally  surprised  him,  and  momentarily  disturbed  the  calm- 
ness of  the  poet.  "Sire,"  he  said,  after  a  brief  pause,  "your 
majesty  has  found  fault  with  something  with  which  no  one 


380  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

has  reproached  me  heretofore,  and  I  confess  that  your  criti- 
cism has  struck  me.  But  it  is  just,  and  I  deserve  it.  How- 
ever, a  poet  may  be  pardoned  for  using  an  artifice  which 
cannot  easily  be  detected,  in  order  to  produce  a  certain  effect 
that  he  believes  he  is  unable  to  bring  about  in  a  simple  and 
natural  way." 

Napoleon  nodded  assentingly.  "  Your  'Werther'  is  a 
drama  of  the  heart,  and  there  are  none  to  be  compared  with 
it,"  he  said.  "After  reading  it,  I  am  persuaded  that  it  is 
your  vocation  to  write  in  this  style ;  for  the  tragic  muse  is  the 
favorite  companion  of  the  greatest  poet.  Tragedy  was  at  all 
times  the  school  of  great  men.  It  is  the  duty  of  sovereigns 
to  encourage,  patronize,  and  reward  it.  In  order  to  appreci- 
ate it  correctly,  we  need  not  be  poets  ourselves;  we  only  need 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  of  life,  and  of  a  cultivated  mind. 
Tragedy  fires  the  heart,  elevates  the  soul,  and  can  or  rather 
must,  create  heroes.  I  am  convinced  that  France  is  indebted 
to  the  works  of  Corneille  for  many  of  her  greatest  men.  If 
he  were  living  I  would  make  a  prince  of  him." 

"  Your  majesty,  by  your  words,  has  just  adorned  his  mem- 
ory with  the  coronet  of  a  prince,"  said  Goethe.  "Corneille 
would  assuredly  have  deserved  it,  for  he  was  a  poet  in  the 
noblest  sense,  and  imbued  with  the  ideas  and  principles  of 
modern  civilization.  He  never  makes  his  heroes  die  in  con- 
sequence of  a  decree  of  fate,  but  they  always  bear  in  them- 
selves the  germ  of  their  ruin  or  death ;  it  is  a  natural,  rational 
death,  not  an  artificial  one." 

"  Let  us  say  no  more  about  the  ancients  and  their  fatalism," 
exclaimed  Napoleon ;  "  they  belong  to  a  darker  age.  Political 
supremacy  is  our  modern  fatalism,  and  our  tragedies  must 
be  the  school  of  politicians  and  statesmen.  That  is  the  highest 
summit  which  poets  are  able  to  reach.  You,  for  instance, 
ought  to  write  the  death  of  Caesar ;  it  seems  to  me  you  could 
present  a  much  more  exalted  view  of  it  than  Voltaire  did. 
That  might  become  the  noblest  task  of  your  life.  It  ought  to 
be  proved  to  the  world  how  happy  and  prosperous  Caesar 
would  have  made  it  if  time  had  been  given  him  to  carry  his 
comprehensive  plans  into  effect.  What  do  you  think  of  it, 
M.  von  Goethe?" 

"  Sire,"  said  Goethe,  with  a  polite  smile,  "  I  should  prefer  to 
write  the  life  and  career  of  Caesar,  and  in  doing  so  I  should  not 
be  at  a  loss  for  a  model. "  His  eyes  met  those  of  the  emperor, 
and  they  well  understood  each  other.  Both  of  them  smiled. 


THE  CHASE  AND  THE  ASSASSINS.  381 

"Yon  ought  to  go  to  Paris,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "I  in- 
sist on  your  doing  so.  There  you  will  fmd  abundant  matter 
for  your  muse." 

"Your  majesty  provides  the  poets  of  the  present  time, 
wherever  they  may  be,  with  abundant  matter,"  said  Goethe, 
not  in  the  tone  of  a  courtier,  but  with  the  tranquillity  of  a 
prince  who  confers  a  favor. 

"You  must  go  to  Paris,"  repeated  Napoleon.  "We  shall 
meet  again." 

Goethe,  who  was  an  experienced  courtier,  understood  the 
delicate  hint,  and  stepped  back  from  the  table.  Napoleon 
addressed  a  question  to  Marshal  Soult,  who  entered  at 
this  moment.  The  poet  withdrew  without  further  ceremony. 
The  eyes  of  the  emperor  followed  the  tall,  proud  figure,  and 
turning  to  Berthier,  he  repeated  his  exclamation,  "  Voila  un 
homme  !  " 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

THE   CHASE    AND  THE   ASSASSINS. 

THE  two  emperors  made  their  entry  into  the  decorated  city 
of  Weimar  amidst  pealing  bells,  and  the  cheers  of  the  people. 
The  Duchess  of  Weimar,  just  as  she  had  done  two  years  be- 
fore, received  the  French  conqueror  at  the  head  of  the  palace 
staircase;  this  time,  however,  she  was  not  alone,  but  her  hus- 
band, whom  the  emperor  had  formerly  hated  and  reviled 
BO  bitterly,  stood  at  her  side.  Napoleon  greeted  the  ducal 
couple  with  his  most  winning  smile. 

The  events  of  those  terrible  days  of  the  past  had  been  well- 
nigh  forgotten.  A  short  time  had  sufficed  to  veil  their  mem- 
ory, and  Napoleon  was  a  welcome  and  highly-honored  guest 
two  years  after  the  battle  of  Jena.  No  vestige  of  the  former 
distress  remained;  but  the  laurels  of  the  victor  had  not 
withered. 

A  vast  number  of  carriages,  horsemen,  and  pedestrians, 
filled  the  streets.  The  whole  country  had  sent  its  representa- 
tives to  greet  the  emperors.  All  the  houses  were  ornamented 
with  flags,  festoons,  busts,  and  laudatory  inscriptions.  But 
no  one  cared  to  stay  at  home.  The  inhabitants  and  strangers 
hastened  to  the  forest  of  Ettersburg,  to  witness  the  great 
chase  which  the  Duke  of  Weimar  had  arranged  in  honor  of 

Q— MUHLBACH  Vol..    10 


382  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  imperial  guests. — Several  hundred  deer  had  been  driven 
up  and  fenced  in,  close  to  the  large  clearing  which  was  to  be 
the  scene  of  this  day's  festivities.  In  the  middle  rose  a  huge 
hunting-pavilion,  the  roof  of  which  rested  on  pillars  twined 
with  flowers.  Here  the  two  emperors  were  to  witness  the 
chase,  and  the  two  wings  of  the  structure  were  assigned  to  the 
kings,  dukes,  and  princes.  All  eyes  and  thoughts,  therefore, 
were  turned  in  that  direction ;  and  yet  no  one  noticed  partic- 
ularly two  youthful  forms,  wrapped  in  cloaks  and  leaning 
against  an  oak  near  the  gamekeepers.  The  merry  clamor  and 
the  bugle-calls  of  the  hunters  drowned  the  conversation  of 
these  young  men.  No  one  was  surprised  at  seeing  rifles  in 
their  hands;  they  might  be  hunters  or  gamekeepers — who 
could  tell? 

"  I  believe,"  said  one  of  them,  in  a  whisper,  "  we  shall  ac- 
complish nothing.  My  rifle  does  not  carry  far  enough  to  hit 
him,  and  we  are  not  allowed  to  approach  nearer." 

"  It  is  impossible  to  take  a  sure  aim  from  here,"  replied  the 
other.  "  My  eye  does  not  reach  so  far ;  I  could  fire  only  at 
random  into  the  pavilion." 

"  The  order  says,  however,  to  strike  him  alone,  and  not  to 
endanger  other  lives,"  said  the  first  speaker.  "  The  president 
said,  if  we  kill  him,  it  would  be  an  act  of  justice ;  but  if  we 
are  so  unfortunate  as  to  kill  another,  it  would  be  murder. " 

"  Oh,  what  sophistries  to  lull  the  warning  voice  of  con- 
science!" murmured  the  second  speaker ;  "I — " 

Loud  cheers  interrupted  him ;  the  notes  of  bugles  and  the 
roll  of  drums  mingled  with  the  general  uproar.  The  people 
seemed  wild  with  excitement,  and  the  deer  in  the  enclosure 
huddled  together  in  terror.  The  two  emperors  with  their 
suites  had  just  arrived. 

"Look  at  him,  brother,"  whispered  the  young  man  to  his 
companion ;  "  look  at  the  weird  contrast  of  his  gloomy  coun- 
tenance with  the  merry  faces  around  him.  He  stands  like 
some  incarnate  spirit  of  evil  in  the  midst  of  laughing  fools." 

"  Yes,  but  he  is  himself  merry,  brother  Alfred,  or  seems  to 
be,"  said  his  companion. 

"  The  groans  of  poor  Germania  are  not  heard  in  the  flatter- 
ies of  her  princes,  who  are  fawning  around  him,  and  guarding 
him  so  well  that  the  hand  of  a  true  German  cannot  reach  him. " 

"  But  the  sword  is  hanging  over  him,  brother  Conrad,"  said 
Alfred,  "  and  if  it  do  not  fall  on  him  to-day,  it  will  to-mor- 
row. Let  us  wait  and  watch  for  an  opportunity." 


THE  CHASE  AND  THE  ASSASSINS.  383 

"  Yes,  Alfred,  let  us  wait.  We  know  not  what  favorable 
chance  may  aid  us." 

The  chase  commenced ;  amidst  deafening  shouts  the  game 
were  driven  from  the  enclosure.  Whenever  a  deer  passed 
near  the  pavilion,  the  two  emperors  fired,  and  when  the  noble 
animal  fell  at  perhaps  ten  yards'  distance,  the  spectators 
cheered,  the  bugles  sounded,  and  the  two  imperial  sportsmen 
congratulated  each  other  on  their  skill. 

"It  is  in  vain  to  stand  here  any  longer,"  said  Conrad,  im- 
patiently. "We  shall  be  unable  to  reach  him,  and  it  is 
repugnant  to  my  feelings  to  witness  this  butchery." 

Let  us  go,  brother,"  whispered  Alfred.  "  We  must  try  to 
find  another  opportunity.  Let  us  reflect.  Do  you  know  the 
programme  of  the  day's  festivities?" 

"  I  do.  After  the  chase  there  will  be  a  gala-dinner,  and 
the  sovereigns  will  then  ride  to  the  theatre,  where  the  'Death 
of  Caesar'  will  be  performed.  After  the  representation  of  the 
tragedy,  there  will  be  a  grand  supper  and  ball  at  the  palace. " 

"  The  'Death  of  Ctcsar?'  "  asked  Conrad,  musingly.  "  Does 
fate  intend  giving  us  a  hint  thereby?  Does  it  show  us  where 
to  find  him  and  to  strike  the  blow?  Let  us  be  the  actors  in  a 
similar  play,  and  perform  our  part  at  the  entrance  of  the 
theatre!  Are  you  ready,  brother?" 

"I  am  ready,"  replied  Alfred,  sighing.  "We  have  sworn 
to  do  every  thing  the  league  orders  us  to  do— we  must  obey." 

"Yes,"  said  Conrad,  sighing,  "obey  or  die.  Let  us  take 
our  daggers  to-night,  and  use  them  well.  Let  us  place  our- 
selves iu  front  of  the  theatre,  you  on  the  right,  and  myself  on 
the  left.  We  must  strike  at  the  same  time,  when  he  alights 
from  his  carriage.  While  all  are  gazing  at  him,  let  us 
stealthily  slip  through  the  crowd.  When  you  hear  me  shout 
'One,'  you  will  shout  'Two!'  We  will  then  simultaneously 
rush  forward." 

"  At  what  time  do  we  meet?" 

"At  seven  o'clock,  and  if  we  escape  death  and  arrest,  we 
shall  meet  again  at  the  tavern  outside  the  gate.  Farewell, 
brother  Alfred !" 

"  Farewell,  brother  Conrad !" 

On  the  same  evening,  a  thousand  lights  illuminated  Wei- 
mar. That  part  of  the  city  between  the  palace  and  the 
theatre,  where  the  emperors  would  pass,  was  especially  brill- 
iant. When  after  the  chase  they  had  withdrawn  to  rest  a 
little,  and  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  court  were  waiting  in 


384  NAPOLEON  AND   QUEEN  LOUISA. 

the  large  reception-halls,  Grand-Marshal  Duroc  approached 
General  von  Muffling,  who  had  left  the  Kussian  service;  he 
was  now  vice-president  in  Weimar,  and  had  been  charged  by 
the  duke  with  the  supervision  of  the  court  festivities. 

"Tell  me,  sir,"  said  Duroc,  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  suppose  you 
have  a  good  police  here?" 

"Of  course,  we  have,"  replied  Muffling,  smiling,  "that  is 
to  say,  we  have  a  police  to  attend  to  sweeping  the  chimneys 
and  cleaning  the  streets,  but  as  to  a  haute  police,  we  still  live 
in  a  state  of  perfect  innocence." 

"  The  emperor,  then,  is  to  go  to  the  theatre,  and  your  police 
have  taken  no  precautions  for  his  safety?"  asked  Duroc, 
anxiously. 

"I  believe  it  is  so,  M.  Grand  Marhsal.  If  you  wish  to 
make  any  arrangements,  pray  do  so,  and  I  shall  approve 
them. " 

"Thank  you,"  said  Duroc,  bowing.  "I  have  secretly  sent 
for  a  brigade  of  French  gendarmes.  Will  you  permit  them  to 
guard  the  doors  of  the  theatre,  and  keep  the  populace  from 
the  streets  along  which  the  emperors  will  ride?" 

"Do  as  you  please,  M.  Grand  Marshal,"  said  General  von 
Muffling,  with  a  slightly  sarcastic  smile.  "  A  detachment  of 
the  imperial  guard  will  be  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  theatre, 
and  hence  I  deemed  any  further  precautions  entirely  super- 
fluous." 

"  The  grenadiers  are  posted  there  only  as  a  guard  of  honor," 
said  Duroc;  "I  hasten  to  send  the  gendarmes  thither." 

Fifteen  minutes  afterward  the  whole  route  from  the  palace 
to  the  theatre  was  guarded  by  gendarmes,  who  pushed  back 
all  who  tried  to  cross  the  narrow  sidewalks,  or  to  step  into  the 
street  along  which  the  carriages  were  rolling.  A  double  line 
of  grenadiers  was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  theatre.  An  officer 
walked  up  and  down,  gazing  anxiously  along  the  street,  in 
order  to  command  the  drummers  to  beat  according  to  the  rank 
of  the  sovereigns  arriving.  For  the  emperors  they  were  to 
roll  thrice,  for  the  kings  twice,  and  but  once  for  the  sovereign 
dukes  and  princes.  The  drummers  had  just  rolled  three 
times,  for  the  Emperor  Alexander  had  arrived.  Another 
magnificent  carriage  approached ;  the  coachman  on  the  box 
was  covered  with  gold  lace,  and  two  runners,  entirely  clad  in 
gold  brocade,  accompanied.  Two  rolls  had  already  been 
beaten,  a  third  was  about  to  commence,  when  the  command- 
ing officer  waved  his  hand  angrily,  and  shouted,  "  Silence !  It 


THE  CHASE  AND  THE  ASSASSINS.  385 

is  only  a  king!"  The  stout  form  of  the  King  of  Wiirtembcrg 
appeared,  and  hastened  into  the  theatre.  Another  carriage 
approached.  The  drummers  beat  louder  than  before.  Once, 
twice!  And  then  a  third  roll.  The  grenadiers  presented 
arms,  and  the  people  rushed  forward.  It  was  the  Emperor 
Napoleon. 

At  this  moment  a  young  man  elbowed  himself  through  the 
crowd.  He  was  already  close  to  the  emperor.  Only  a  single 
gendarme  was  in  front  of  him. 

"One!"  he  shouted  in  a  ringing  voice,  pushing  aside  the 
gendarme.  "One!"  he  repeated.  No  voice  replied. 

"  Stand  back!"  cried  the  guard. 

The  emperor  walked  past.  He  had  heard  the  shout.  At 
the  door  he  turned  his  stern  face,  while  his  eyes  flushed  for 
a  moment  searchingly  over  the  crowd.  He  then  slowly  walked 
on.  No  accident  disturbed  the  representation,  and  the  daggers 
that  had  been  lurking  outside  for  the  modern  Caesar  had 
failed  to  strike  him. 

On  the  same  evening  the  two  conspirators  met  at  the  place 
agreed  on.  With  disappointed  faces  they  seemed  to  read  each 
other's  secret  thoughts. 

"  Why  did  you  not  reply  to  me,  brother?"  asked  Conrad. 
"Why  were  you  silent  when  I  gave  the  signal?" 

"I  was  unable  to  get  through  the  crowd,"  said  Alfred. 
"  The  gendarmes  refused  to  let  me  pass,  and  it  appeared  to 
me  they  were  eying  me  suspiciously.  It  was  impossible  to 
penetrate  to  the  spot  indicated.  I  heard  you  call,  but  could 
not  reply;  I  was  too  far  from  you." 

"The  work,  then,  must  be  done  to-morrow,"  said  Conrad, 
gravely  and  sadly. 

"  Remember,  brother,  that  the  order  of  the  president  was 
to  strike  the  blow  within  a  week.  To-morrow  is  the  last 
day!" 

"  Yes,  to-morrow  we  must  desecrate  the  sacred  cause  of  the 
fatherland  by  an  assassination,"  said  Alfred,  sighing.  "  But 
we  have  sworn  not  to  shrink  from  death  if  the  league  requires 
it,  and  must  obey!" 

"We  must  obey  or  die,"  murmured  Conrad.  "Do  you 
know  the  programme  of  to-morrow?" 

"  I  do,  brother.  Napoleon  wishes  to  show  the  battle-field 
of  Jena  to  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  to  the  kings  and 
princes;  and  the  Duke  of  Weimar,  who  participated  in  the 
battle  at  the  head  of  a  Prussian  division,  has  arranged,  in 


386  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

harmless  self-irony,  a  hare-hunt.  That  will  be  a  highly 
dignified  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  that  battle." 

"Oh,  Germania!  how  thou  must  suffer!"  groaned  Conrad. 
"  It  is  time  for  us  to  place  a  bloody  offering  on  thy  altar !  It 
must  be  done  to-morrow.  The  road  to  Jena  crosses  the  small 
forest  of  the  Webicht.  Let  us  place  ourselves  there  close  to 
the  road,  armed  with  our  muskets.  One  of  their  balls  will 
surely  hit  him.  We  must  both  shoot  at  the  same  time." 

"  To-morrow,  then,  in  the  forest  of  the  Webicht!" 

On  the  following  day  the  imperial  and  royal  visitors  re- 
paired to  Jena,  in  order  to  hunt  hares  on  the  battle-field  of 
Napoleon's  famous  victory.  On  the  Landgrafenberg,  where 
Napoleon  two  years  ago  had  spent  the  night  before  the  battle 
at  a  bivouac-fire,  a  magnificent  tent  had  been  erected,  and  the 
Duke  of  Weimar  begged  leave  to  call  it  henceforth  "  Napo- 
leonsberg."  Napoleon  granted  the  request,  smilingly,  and 
then  asked  the  company  to  take  a  walk  with  him  across  the 
battle-field,  that  he  might  explain  to  them  the  various  oper- 
ations of  the  great  struggle.  This  request  of  course  was  re- 
ceived with  general  joy,  and  the  party  descended  into  the 
valley.  Napoleon  led  the  way;  on  his  right  Alexander,  on 
his  left  Prince  William  of  Prussia,  whom  he  had  taken  care 
to  have  by  his  side.  All  listened  in  breathless  silence  to  his 
words,  which  were  growing  more  and  more  enthusiastic.  He 
disclosed  to  his  audience  his  own  plans  and  motives,  as  well 
as  the  disastrous  dispositions  of  his  enemies.  Alexander  lis- 
tened to  him  musingly;  the  German  kings  and  princes,  in 
breathless  suspense.  The  French  marshals,  however,  looked 
discontented  while  their  sovereign  was  speaking.  Once,  when 
the  emperor  was  just  expatiating  in  glowing  words  on  the 
correct  mode  of  warfare,  his  eyes  happened  to  meet  the  coun- 
tenance of  Berthier,  Prince  of  Neufchatel,  and  noticed  the 
dissatisfied  expression  of  his  features. 

When  Napoleon  repaired  to  his  tent,  he  ordered  Marshal 
Berthier  to  follow  him.  "  Berthier,  why  did  you  look  so 
angry?" 

"  Sire,"  faltered  Berthier,  in  confusion,  "  I  do  not  know 
that  I  did." 

"But  I  know  it.  Why  were  you  dissatisfied?  Speak!  I 
command  you!" 

"  Well,  if  your  majesty  insists,  I  will  speak,"  exclaimed 
Berthier.  "  Your  majesty  apparently  forgot  what  you  have 
repeated  to  us  so  often :  that  we  ought  always  to  treat  our 


THE  CHASE  AND  THE  ASSASSINS.  387 

allies  as  though  they  afterward  might  become  our  enemies. 
Is  your  majesty  not  afraid  lest  the  sovereigns  should  profit 
hereafter  by  the  excellent  lessons  given  them  to-day?" 

The  emperor  smiled.  "Berthier,"  he  said,  kindly,  "that 
is  truly  a  bold  rebuke,  and  hence  I  like  it.  I  believe  you  take 
me  for  a  babbler.  You  think,  then,  Prince  of  Neufchatel," 
he  added,  bending  over  Berthier  and  pulling  his  ear,  "  that  I 
have  put  whips  into  the  hands  of  the  German  princes  which 
they  might  use  against  us !  Be  not  alarmed ;  I  do  not  tell 
them  every  thing."  And  Napoleon  opened  the  door  of  the 
tent  with  a  laugh,  and  gave  the  signal  for  the  hunt  to  begin. 

Not  a  human  voice  was  to  be  heard  in  the  forest  of  We- 
bicht,  which  was  generally  much  frequented.  It  was  but  a 
bird's  song  that  broke  the  deep  silence.  Suddenly  there  was 
a  rustling  noise  in  the  autumnal  leaves  covering  the  ground, 
and  quick  footsteps  approached  the  road  crossing  the  middle 
of  the  forest. 

Two  young  men,  wrapped  in  cloaks,  glided  through  the 
woods,  and  stationed  themselves  behind  a  couple  of  large 
beeches.  They  looked  searchingly  along  the  road;  opened 
their  cloaks,  and  raised  their  weapons  to  examine  them,  that 
they  might  make  sure  work. 

"All  right,"  said  Conrad. 

"All  right,"  echoed  Alfred. 

"When  I  call  out  'One,'  we  must  both  fire!" 

"Yes,  but  we  have  been  ordered  to  kill  none  but  him," 
said  Alfred,  hesitatingly.  "  What  if  he  does  not  ride  alone? 
If  one  of  the  balls  should  strike  an  innocent  man?" 

"  If  one  of  his  marshals  or  adjutants  sits  beside  him  he 
would  not  be  an  innocent  man,  for  he  has  assisted  in  making 
our  country  unhappy!  Let  German  soil  drink  his  blood! 
He  must  not  prevent  us  from  carrying  out  our  purpose.  We 
cannot  shrink  from  it,  because  we  have  sworn  obedience  to 
the  league,  and  this  is  the  last  day.  We  must  do  or  die!" 

"Hush!  let  us  listen  and  watch  for  him,  brother  Conrad." 
Soon  the  roll  of  wheels  was  heard.  The  two  conspirators 
raised  their  muskets  as  the  carriage  approached.  It  could  be 
seen  that  it  contained  two  persons. 

"It  is  he,"  whispered  Alfred.  "But  who  is  seated  by  his 
side?" 

"One  of  his  adjutants,"  said  Conard;  "  no  matter!  Let  us 
aim,  brother."  The  large  trunks  of  the  beeches  concealed 
the  forms  of  the  conspirators. 


388  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"When  I  command,  we  fire!"  whispered  Conrad. 

So  close  were  they  now  that  the  persons  seated  in  the  coach 
could  be  recognized.  The  man  sitting  on  the  right  was  Na- 
poleon. But  who  was  the  young  man  with  the  fine  but  down- 
cast face? 

"Stop,"  whispered  Alfred.  "  Do  not  shoot,  brother!  He 
is  no  Frenchman !  He  is  a  German  prince,  the  brother  of 
the  King  of  Prussia!  We  cannot  fire!" 

"  No,  we  must  not  fire  at  the  brother  of  the  unfortunate 
King  of  Prussia!"  murmured  Conrad,  lowering  his  arm.  As 
the  carriage  passed  by,  the  conspirators  could  distinctly  hear 
the  words  of  Napoleon  and  his  companion.  "  A  fine,  fragrant 
forest,"  said  the  former,  in  his  sonorous  voice,  "  just  the  thing 
for  German  poets  and  dreamers.  For  I  suppose,  prince,  the 
Germans  like  to  dream?" 

"Sire,"  said  Prince  William,  mournfully,  "I  believe  your 
majesty  has  at  last  disturbed  them  in  their  visionary  musings." 

Napoleon  burst  into  laughter,  which  resounded  through 
the  forest,  and  startled  the  pale  men  standing  behind  the 
trees,  and  gazing  gloomily  after  him.  He  chatted  gayly  be- 
side Prince  William,  without  suspecting  that  he,  the  brother 
of  the  King  of  Prussia,  whom  Napoleon  had  humbled  so  often 
and  so  grievously,  had  just  saved  his  life. 

"  We  have  failed  again,"  said  Alfred,  when  the  noise  of  the 
wheels  was  dying  away  in  the  distance.  "  The  last  day  is 
nearly  gone.  What  shall  we  reply  to  the  brethren  when  they 
ask  us  how  we  have  carried  out  the  order  which  our  country 
sent  us?  What  shall  we  reply  when  they  call  us  to  account?" 

"  We  shall  tell  them  that  Heaven  refused  to  allow  the  sacred 
cause  of  Germany  to  be  desecrated  by  murder!"  exclaimed 
Conrad,  gravely;  "that,  faithful  to  our  obligation,  although 
with  reluctant  hearts,  we  tried  to  accomplish  our  mission, 
but  that  we  were  restrained  and  our  strength  was  paralyzed. 
You  will  tell  them  so,  brother — you  alone.  Tell  them  that  I 
was  not  forgetful  of  the  oath  I  took  on  the  day  I  joined  the 
league.  Having  been  unable  to  obey,  I  die!  Farewell, 
brother!"  A  shot  reechoed  in  the  silent  forest. 

Not  long  after,  a  man,  with  livid  cheeks  and  wild  eyes, 
might  have  been  seen  hastening  across  the  distant  heath  on 
the  other  side  of  the  woods.  As  he  ran  he  whispered,  "  Un- 
happy Germany!"  These  were  the  last  words  of  his  com- 
panion Conrad,  who  lay  dead  on  the  fallen  leaves. 

Two  days  after  their  return  from  Weimar,  on  the  10th  of 


THE  CHASE  AND  THE  ASSASSINS.  389 

October,  the  emperors  signed  the  treaty  about  which  they  had 
agreed,  and  in  which  Romanzoff  had  been  obliged  to  acqui- 
esce. France  consented  in  this  treaty  that  Russia  should  take 
possession  of  Moldavia  and  Wallachia.  Russia  also  agreed  to 
whatever  changes  Napoleon  had  made,  and  would  hereafter 
make,  in  regard  to  the  government  of  Spain,  and  engaged  to 
assist  him  in  a  war  against  Austria. 

On  the  14th  of  October  they  left  Erfurt,  and  returned  to 
their  states.  The  object  of  their  meeting  had  been  attained; 
both  had  derived  benefit  from  it.  Alexander  had  gained 
Moldavia  and  Wallachia;  Napoleon,  a  powerful  friend  and 
ally.  Europe  received  tremblingly  the  news  of  this  alliance 
of  the  West  and  the  East.  What  hopes  remained  to  Ger- 
many!— to  that  dismembered  country,  over  whose  battle-fields 
Russia  and  France  had  joined  hands  and  concerted  measures 
against  the  most  powerful  of  its  states — Austria ! 


BOOK  YL 

CHAPTER    XLIV. 

THE  WAR  WITH  AUSTRIA. 

NAPOLEON,  in  ill-humor,  was  pacing  his  cabinet,  while 
Minister  Champagny  was  standing  at  the  large  desk,  covered 
with  papers  and  maps,  where  he  was  engaged  in  folding  and 
arranging  several  documents. 

"They  are  bent  on  having  war,  those  insolent  Austrians," 
said  Napoleon,  after  a  pause,  "  and  they  want  it  now,  because 
they  believe  that  I  am  not  prepared  for  it.  What  an  unheard- 
of  presumption,  to  arrest  my  couriers,  and  take  their  papers 
from  them!  And  now  that  I  am  taking  reprisals — that  I  on 
my  part  have  issued  orders  to  arrest  their  couriers  on  all  high- 
ways, and  in  all  cities,  and  to  take  their  papers  from  them, 
the  Austrians  are  raising  a  hue-and-cry  about  the  violation  of 
international  law;  and  if  war  should  break  out,  the  blame,  as 
usual,  will  be  laid  at  my  door!"  He  paused,  but  added 
immediately : 

"  I  wished  to  remain  at  peace  with  Germany  for  the  present, 
for  I  have  enough  to  do  with  those  wretched  Spaniards,  who 
are  rising  against  my  troops  like  a  vast  band  of  guerillas. 
But  that  is  just  what  is  giving  the  Austrians  courage.  They 
believe  me  to  be  weakened,  isolated,  and  unable  to  wage  war 
with  any  other  power,  and  hence  the  cowards  take  heart,  and 
think  they  can  obtain  spoils  from  the  lion.  But,  patience! 
the  lion  retains  his  former  strength  and  vigor,  and  will  finally 
destroy  his  enemies.  Champagny,  I  suppose  you  have  already 
sent  the  Austrian  ambassador  his  passports?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  Count  Metternich  has  departed  with  all  the 
members  of  his  legation." 

"  Very  well;  let  him  go  to  Vienna  and  announce  my  speedy 
arrival  to  the  Emperor  Francis,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  im- 
patiently. 


THE  WAR  WITH  AUSTRIA.  391 

"  Sire,  Count  Metternich  will  meet  the  emperor  no  longer 
in  Vienna,"  said  Champagny  calmly. 

"No  longer  in  Vienna!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  laughing 
scornfully.  "  Does  Francis  II.  suspect  already  that  I  am 
about  to  come,  and  has  he  taken  to  his  heels  even  before  I 
have  left  Paris?" 

"No,  sire;  it  seems,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  Emperor 
Francis  intends  to  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  troops." 

Napoleon  burst  into  a  loud  laugh.  "  The  Austrians,  then, 
believe  my  soldiers  to  be  sparrows,  and  think  they  can  drive 
them  out  by  setting  up  a  scarecrow!  If  the  Emperor  Francis 
himself  intends  to  command,  he  will  command  the  army  only 
to  retreat,  for  the  word  'forward'  is  not  to  be  found  in  his 
dictionary.  Have  you  looked  over  the  dispatches  from  Ger- 
many, and  can  you  report  to  me  what  they  contain?" 

"  I  am  ready,  sire,"  said  Champagny,  glancing  at  the  papers. 

"Then  commence,"  ordered  the  emperor,  sitting  down, 
and  taking  from  the  table  a  penknife,  with  which  he  whittled 
the  back  of  the  chair. 

"  The  four  corps  of  the  Austrian  army,  with  the  two  reserve 
corps,  moved  on  the  first  of  April  toward  the  frontier  of  Ba- 
varia," said  Champagny. 

"  As  soon  as  they  cross  the  Inn  and  enter  the  territory  of 
my  ally,  war  will  break  out,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "Pro- 
ceed !" 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  Oth  of  April,  the  Archduke  Charles 
and  his  brother,  the  emperor,  arrived  with  the  army  at  Liuz. 
Thence  he  sent  one  of  his  adjutants  to  the  King  of  Bavaria, 
to  whom  was  to  be  delivered  an  autograph  letter,  in  which 
the  archduke  announced  to  the  king  that  he  had  received 
orders  to  advance,  and  would  regard  and  treat  as  enemies  all 
that  would  resist  his  progress,  no  matter  whether  they  were 
German  or  foreign  troops." 

"Why,  that  is  a  regular  declaration  of  war,"  said  the  em- 
peror, piercing  the  velvet  cushion  of  the  chair  with  his  pen- 
knife. 

"  Yes,  sire,  it  is,"  said  Champagny,  taking  up  another 
paper.  "  We  have  received,  moreover,  a  copy  of  the  war 
manifesto  which  the  Emperor  of  Austria  has  published  in  the 
Vienna  Court  Gazette,  and  which  was  drawn  up  by  Gentz,  the 
well-known  pamphleteer." 

"Gentz!"    ejaculated  Napoleon.     "Do  not  those  warlike 
Austrians  see  that  that  is  their  death-knell,  and  that  it  is  a 


392  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

bad  omen  for  them  that  Gentz  had  to  blow  the  war-trumpet? 
Is  it  not  the  same  Gentz  who  drew  up  the  high-sounding 
manifesto  for  the  King  of  Prussia,  previous  to  the  battle  of 
Jena?" 

"Yes,  sire,  the  same." 

"  Well,  that  was  in  1806;  the  six  has  been  transformed  into 
a  nine — that  is  all  the  difference,"  exclaimed  Napoleon. 
"  Every  thing  else  has  remained  unchanged.  I  suppose  the 
same  language  of  self-reliance,  of  a  wounded  sense  of  honor, 
and  of  noble  patriotism,  is  to  be  found  in  the  manifesto  of 
1809  as  in  that  of  1806?  Oh,  I  know  it!  Those  Germans 
ever  remain  the  same;  they  always  believe  their  cause  just; 
they  always  want  peace,  and  find  war,  without  any  fault  of 
theirs.  Those  .Austrians  have  irritated  me  for  about  a  year 
past;  they  have  secretly  armed  during  that  time.  The  busier 
they  believed  me  to  be  in  Spain,  the  more  energetically  they 
continued  their  preparations;  and  whenever  I  had  them  ques- 
tioned about  their  motives  and  objects,  they  made  evasive  and 
unsatisfactory  replies.  The  natural  consequence  of  all  this 
was,  that  I  moved  my  troops  toward  the  German  frontier; 
that  Davoust,  Lannes,  and  Massena,  with  three  corps,  had  to 
approach  Austria,  and  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  cross 
its  boundaries  when  the  Austrians  enter  Bavarian  territory ; 
and  that,  finally,  I  issued  orders  to  the  princes  of  the  Con- 
federation of  the  Rhine  to  place  their  federal  quota  on  a  war- 
footing,  and  prepare  for  the  outbreak  of  hostilities.  No 
sooner  had  this  been  done,  than  the  Austrians  arrested  my 
courier  contrary  to  international  law,  and  compelled  me  to 
retaliate.  Nevertheless,  I  suppose,  they  are  entirely  innocent 
now,  and  the  manifesto  of  the  Emperor  Francis  proves  clearly 
that  France,  by  her  incessant  insults  and  encroachments,  by 
her  insatiable  thirst  after  new  territories,  and  by  her  bound- 
less ambition,  compelled  Austria  to  take  up  arms.  Is  it  not 

80?" 

"Yes,  sire,  it  is  so.  There  are  at  the  conclusion  of  this 
manifesto  words  and  ideas  that  are  almost  identical  with  those 
your  majesty  uttered  just  now." 

"Bead  this  conclusion,"  said  Napoleon,  leaning  back  in  his 
chair. 

Champagny  read :  "  The  Emperor  Francis  will  never  deem 
himself  authorized  to  meddle  with  the  domestic  affairs  of  for- 
eign states,  or  to  arrogate  to  himself  a  controlling  influence 
on  their  system  of  government,  on  their  legislative  and  ad- 


THE  WAR  WITH  AUSTRIA.  393 

ministrative  affairs,  or  on  the  development  of  their  military 
strength.  He  demands  a  just  reciprocity.  Far  from  being 
actuated  by  motives  of  ambition  or  jealousy,  the  emperor  will 
envy  no  other  sovereign  his  greatness,  his  glory,  his  legitimate 
influence;  the  exclusive  assumption  of  such  advantages  alone 
is  the  source  of  general  apprehensions  and  the  germ  of  ever- 
lasting wars.  Not  France,  in  the  preservation  and  welfare  of 
which  his  majesty  will  always  take  the  liveliest  interest,  but 
the  uninterrupted  extension  of  a  system  which,  under  the 
name  of  the  French  Empire,  acknowledges  no  other  law  in 
Europe  than  its  own,  has  brought  about  the  present  confu- 
sion ;  it  will  be  removed,  and  all  the  wishes  of  his  majesty  will 
be  fulfilled,  when  that  exclusive  system  will  be  replaced  by 
one  of  moderation,  self-restraint,  the  reciprocal  independence 
of  all  the  states,  respect  for  the  rights  of  every  power,  the 
sacred  observance  of  treaties,  and  the  supremacy  of  peace. 
Then  alone  can  the  Austrian  monarchy  and  the  whole  political 
fabric  of  Europe  be  maintained  in  a  prosperous  condition." 

"Enough!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  rising  from  his  chair,  and 
throwing  the  penknife  into  a  distant  corner  of  the  room.  "  I 
shall  pay  Austria  for  this  insolence,  and  there  will  be  a  day 
when  the  Emperor  Francis  and  his  scribbler  Gentz  will  repent 
of  this  miserable  pamphlet !  I  will  have  to  treat  the  former 
as  I  have  treated  the  kings  of  Naples  and  Spain.  The  house 
of  the  Hapsburgs  must  cease  to  reign.  Or,  if  in  my  patience, 
I  should  allow  the  imperial  throne  of  Austria  to  exist  further 
under  their  rule,  it  shall  not  be  occupied  by  this  dull  and 
obstinate  man,  but  by  his  brother,  the  Elector  of  Wiirzburg!* 
But  woe  to  this  M.  Gentz,  who  has  dared  to  irritate  me  anew! 
Once  already  I  gave  orders  to  arrest  and  punish  him.  He 
succeeded  in  making  his  escape.  My  police  will  be  more  cau- 
tious this  time.  When  I  have  made  my  entry  into  Vienna,  I 
shall  remember  M.  Gentz!  Ah,  somebody  is  coming!" 

The  door  opened,  and  one  of  the  imperial  adjutants  entered. 

"Sire,"  he  said,  handing  a  sealed  letter  to  Napoleon,  "the 
director  of  the  Paris  telegraph-office  has  just  brought  this." 

"At  last!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  seizing  the  letter,  and 
then  motioning  him  to  leave  the  room. 

"  At  last!"  he  repeated,  breaking  the  seal.  His  eyes  passed 
over  the  paper  with  an  expression  of  uncontrollable  im- 
patience. His  countenance  brightened,  and  a  faint  blush 

•After  Napoleon  bad  made  his  entry  into  Vienna,  he  really  requested  the  Em- 
peror Francis  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  the  tetter's  brother.  The  cattle  of  Aspern  pre- 
yented  this  plan  from  being  carried  into  effect. 


394  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

came  to  his  cheeks.  He  raised  his  eyes  toward  the  minister. 
"Champagny,"  he  said,  in  a  joyful  voice,  "war  has  com- 
menced ;  the  Austrians  have  crossed  the  Inn  and  invaded  the 
states  of  my  ally  the  King  of  Bavaria.  The  decisive  moment 
is  at  hand.  I  shall  set  out  this  very  night.  To-day  is  the 
12th  of  April;  on  the  17th  I  shall  be  at  Donauworth  and  put 
myself  at  the  head  of  my  army.  Now  let  us  go  to  work  and 
make  our  dispositions. — What  is  the  matter  now?" 

The  door  opened  again,  and  the  court-marshal  appeared  on 
the  threshold  to  announce  dinner. 

Napoleon  cast  a  hasty  glance  at  the  clock.  "  Indeed,  it  is 
six  o'clock!"  he  exclaimed.  "But  I  cannot  go  yet.  Have 
every  thing  kept  in  readiness.  Tell  the  empress  I  wish  she 
would  wait  for  me  in  the  dining-room.  I  will  soon  be  with 
her.  Send  for  the  Prince  de  Benevento  and  the  Duke 
d'Otranto.  I  want  to  see  them  immediately.  Now  come, 
Champagny,"  he  said,  when  the  court-marshal  had  with- 
drawn ;  "  let  us  go  to  work.  We  have  a  great  many  things  to 
attend  to,  and  there  is  but  little  time  left,  for,  as  I  told  you 
before,  I  will  set  out  this  very  night. " 

Fifteen  minutes  afterward  Talleyrand  and  Fouche  entered 
the  cabinet  agreeably  to  the  emperor's  orders.  They  found 
him  amid  his  maps,  on  which  he  marched  the  various  armies 
by  means  of  the  colored  pins  which  Champagny  handed  to  him. 

"Gentlemen,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  saluting  the  the  new- 
comers, "the  Austrians  have  commenced  war;  come  hither 
and  see!" 

In  the  mean  time  the  empress,  according  to  the  wishes  of 
her  consort,  had  repaired  with  her  ladies  of  honor  to  the  din- 
ing-room, and  waited  for  the  arrival  of  Napoleon.  The  dishes 
had  already  been  served  up;  for,  owing  to  the  hasty  manner 
in  which  the  emperor  liked  to  dine,  the  various  courses  could 
not  successively  be  brought  from  the  kitchen,  but  had  to  be 
placed  on  the  table  before  dinner  commenced.  A  number  of 
silver  warming-vessels,  rilled  with  hot  water,  always  stood  on 
the  imperial  table.  Only  the  roast  chicken,  which  every  day 
made  the  last  course,  and  was  one  of  the  emperor's  favorite 
dishes,  had  remained  in  the  kitchen ;  it  was  still  turning  on 
the  spit,  and  waiting  for  the  moment  when  it  was  to  be  carried 
up.  But  this  moment  was  delayed  an  unusually  long  time  to- 
day. The  first  chicken  had  long  ago  been  replaced  by  a  sec- 
ond, a  third,  and  a  fourth,  and  this  one  had  been  roasting  so 
much  that  it  was  tough  and  juiceless.  It  had  not  yet  been 


THE  WAR  WITH  AUSTRIA.  395 

called  for.  The  waiters  returned  from  time  to  time  into  the 
kitchen  for  boiling  water,  to  fill  anew  the  silver  vessels  on 
which  the  dishes  were  kept  warm. 

"  If  that  goes  on  in  the  same  manner  we  shall  depopulate 
the  whole  poultry-yard,"  grumbled  the  chief  cook,  ordering  a 
fresh  half-dozen  of  young  chickens  to  be  brought  in  and  pre- 
pared for  roasting. 

The  emperor  did  not  come.  The  clock  struck  seven,  eight, 
nine,  and  ten,  and  Napoleon  had  not  yet  made  his  appearance 
in  the  dining-room.  But  this  long  delay  did  not  cause  the 
least  impatience  or  anger  to  appear  on  the  face  of  the  em- 
press; not  for  a  single  moment  did  she  lose  her  temper. 
Graceful  and  gay,  she  conversed  with  her  cavaliers  and  ladies 
of  honor,  and  her  eyes  but  occasionally  glanced  at  the  door  by 
which  Napoleon  had  to  enter. 

At  last  the  emperor  appeared.  He  walked  toward  the 
empress  with  a  hasty  nod,  and  offering  her  his  hand  to  con- 
duct her  to  the  table,  he  said :  "  I  believe  it  is  a  little  late. 
I  have  kept  you  waiting,  I  suppose?" 

Josephine  laughed.  "  The  question  is  rather  naive,  my 
friend,"  she  said;  "  I  have  been  waiting  ever  since  six  o'clock, 
and  it  is  now  past  eleven." 

"Ah,  that  is  late,  indeed,"  said  the  emperor  abstractedly. 
"I  thought  I  had  already  dined;  Champagny,  however,  re- 
minded me  that  this  was  not  the  case.  Well,  Josephine,  let 
us  eat!"  And  he  commenced  eating  the  soup  which  the 
grand-marshal  placed  before  him. 

Thanks  to  the  warming-vessels,  the  dishes  had  remained 
palatable;  but  the  chief  cook,  when  the  gratifying  announce- 
ment was  made  that  the  emperor  had  at  length  made  his  ap- 
pearance, had  just  ordered  the  twenty-third  chicken  to  be 
put  on  the  spit  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  juicy  and  freshly- 
roasted  wing  in  readiness. 

The  emperor,  who  was  very  reticent  and  abstracted,  took 
his  dinner  even  more  rapidly  than  usual,  and  no  sooner  had 
he  finished  than  he  rose  impetuously  from  his  chair  and  left 
the  table.  Without  addressing  a  word  to  the  empress,  ho 
walked  across  the  room. 

Josephine  gazed  after  him  with  a  long  and  mournful  look, 
and  her  face  was  sad.  "  He  is  cruel,"  she  muttered  to  her- 
self. "  After  waiting  so  many  hours,  ho  has  scarcely  a  word 
for  me,  and  leaves  me  without  salutation!" 

But  when  Napoleon  was  near  the  door,  he  turned  round 


396  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

and  walked  hastily  toward  the  empress.  "  Good-night,  my 
dear  Josephine,"  he  said,  giving  his  hand  to  her.  "It  is 
already  late — near  midnight — retire.  We  shall  not  meet 
again  to-day;  farewell,  and  au  revoir!  " 

He  nodded  to  her,  and  then  left  the  room  for  his  cabinet. 
On  arriving  there,  he  bolted  the  small  door  leading  into  the 
corridor,  and  thence  into  the  apartments  of  the  empress,  call- 
ing in  a  loud  voice,  "Constant!"  The  valet  de  chambre 
entered  immediately.  "Constant!"  said  the  emperor,  "  come 
hither  close  to  me,  and  listen.  You  will  quickly  set  in  order 
my  travelling-coach,  so  that  I  shall  be  able  to  set  out  in  an 
hour.  Roustan  and  you  will  accompany  me — no  one  else. 
But  you  must  not  say  a  word  about  my  departure.  I  want  it 
to  be  known  at  the  Tuileries,  as  well  as  in  Paris,  to-morrow 
only,  that  I  ha?e  left  the  capital,  and  it  is  of  the  highest  im- 
portance that  it  should  remain  a  secret  until  then.  Do  you 
understand  me?  And  now  make  haste!  In  an  hour  every 
thing  must  be  ready!" 

Constant  bowed  in  silence  and  withdrew.  "  Yes,  yes,"  he 
murmured,  while  hastily  passing  on,  "  I  understood  the  em- 
peror very  well.  His  departure  is  to  remain  a  secret ;  that  is 
to  say,  especially  for  the  empress.  Ah !  the  poor,  good  em- 
press !  How  she  will  weep  when  she  hears  to-morrow  that  the 
emperor  has  again  set  out  without  her !  Formerly  he  always 
took  her  with  him ;  she  had  to  share  the  triumphs  and  troubles 
of  the  journey;  but  now  she  must  stay  at  home.  Poor 
Josephine!  she  is  so  good,  and  loves  him  intensely!  But  I 
must  obey  the  emperor's  order.  I  cannot  tell  her  any  thing! 
I  cannot,  but  it  would  be  no  fault  of  mine  if  some  one  else 
should !  Ah !  a  good  idea  strikes  me !  The  empress  had  the 
gold  travelling-case  of  the  emperor  brought  to  her  yesterday 
in  order  to  have  one  like  it  made  for  the  viceroy  of  Italy.  I 
must  go  immediately  and  get  it  from  her  maid,  and  she  is 
fortunately  tenderly  devoted  to  the  empress!" 


CHAPTER    XLV. 
JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL. 

THE  empress  in  the  mean  time  had  returned  to  her  rooms, 
sad  and  absorbed  in  her  reflections.  She  had  dismissed  her 
ladies  of  honor ;  only  her  mistress  of  ceremonies,  Madame  de 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  397 

Bemusat,  was  still  with  her,  and  her  maids  were  in  the  adjoin- 
ing room  to  await  her  orders  until  she  retired. 

No  sooner  had  Josephine  reached  her  room  than  she  sat 
down  slowly  and  abstractedly,  and,  throwing  back  her  head, 
fixed  her  eyes  on  the  ceiling.  An  expression  of  profound 
grief  was  visible  in  her  features,  and  darkened  the  shade  with 
which  age  was  veiling  her  countenance.  When  smiling, 
Josephine  was  still  a  graceful  and  fascinating  woman,  but 
when  melancholy  it  was  but  too  plainly  to  be  seen  that  her 
charms  were  fading,  and  neither  the  flattering  rouge  nor  the 
skill  of  the  artist  could  conceal  this  fact. 

Josephine's  brow  was  now  often  clouded,  and  her  youthful 
beauty  was  fast  losing  its  charms.  Gloomy  forebodings  were 
constantly  passing  over  her  heart;  she  felt  that  she  was  stand- 
ing as  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  and  that  the  days  of  her 
happiness  were  numbered.  She  awoke  every  morning  in  ter- 
ror, for  before  the  evening  she  might  be  cast  into  an  abyss  of 
sorrow — removed  from  the  Tuileries  and  the  side  of  her  hus- 
band— replaced  by  another,  a  younger  woman,  the  daughter 
of  an  ancient  sovereign  house,  who  was  to  become  the  wife  of 
Napoleon  and  the  mother  of  his  sons.  Josephine  knew  that 
the  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  emperor  were  constantly  impor- 
tuning him  to  disown  his  childless  wife,  and  to  secure  his 
throne  and  dynasty,  as  well  as  their  own,  by  choosing  another 
consort  giving  an  heir  to  his  crown.  She  knew  that  Talley- 
rand was  representing  this  to  him  daily  as  a  political  necessity, 
without  which  his  empire  and  his  greatness  would  be  endan- 
gered. She  knew  also  that  Napoleon  no  longer,  as  formerly, 
closed  his  ears  against  these  insinuations,  but,  eagerly  listen- 
ing, held  them  in  serious  consideration. 

Josephine  was  aware  of  all  this,  and  sat  in  her  room  a  prey 
to  well-grounded  suspicion  and  sorrowful  presentiments. 

Madame  de  Remusat  looked  at  her  awhile,  sighing  and  in 
silence;  she  now  softly  approached  the  empress,  and,  taking 
her  hand,  said  in  an  affectionate  voice,  "  Your  majesty  ought 
to  retire  1  You  need  sleep;  it  is  long  past  midnight,  and 
your  eyes  are  weary." 

"Not  from  waking — from  weeping,  my  dear  Remusat,"  said 
the  empress,  pressing  the  hand  of  her  confidante.  "  But  you 
are  right,  I  will  retire.  In  sleep  we  forget  our  grief.  Remusat, 
in  my  dreams  I  always  see  Napoleon  as  affectionate,  as  loving 
as  he  ever  was — in  my  dreams  he  loves  me  still  and  looks  at 
me,  not  with  the  stern  eyes  of  the  emperor,  but  of  a  tender 


398  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

husband.  When  I  awake,  Remusat,  his  fine  face  still  before 
my  mind,  and  remember  that  his  love  is  now  gone  and  lost 
forever — ^oh,  then  a  sword  seems  to  pierce  my  heart,  and  I 
shed  scalding  tears  in  spite  of  myself !  And  yet  I  will  retire. 
He  commanded  me,  and  I  will  obey." 

"How  discouraged  your  majesty  is  again  to-day!"  said 
Madame  de  Remusat,  sighing.  "  Still  it  seems  to  me  there  is 
less  cause  than  ever.  The  emperor  was  more  cordial  and 
affectionate  than  usual.  He  was  evidently  abstracted,  and 
occupied  with  important  plans,  and  yet  he  returned ;  his  ex- 
pression was  unusually  gentle,  and  his  voice  trembled  when 
he  bade  farewell  to  your  majesty." 

"  But  why  did  he  bid  me  farewell?"  exclaimed  the  empress. 
"  This  is  what  fills  me  with  anxiety.  Heretofore  he  only  said 
to  me,  'Good-night!'  and,  'we  shall  meet  again  to-morrow, 
Josephine!'  But  to-day  he  said,  'Farewell,  and  au  revoir!' 
Eemusat,  there  was  a  hidden  meaning  in  these  words.  Some- 
thing unusual  is  to  happen,  for  the  emperor  never  took  leave 
of  me  in  this  manner.  'Au  revoirf  You  never  say  that  to 
one  whom  you  meet  again  in  the  morning.  It  means  as- 
suredly something !  But  you  are  right — I  need  repose,  for  my 
limbs  are  trembling,  and  my  head  is  burning,  as  if  I  had 
fever!  Call  my  maids!" 

Josephine  sighed  deeply,  and  rose  to  be  undressed.  She 
was  so  absorbed  in  her  reflections  that  she,  who  always  ad- 
dressed a  pleasant  word  to  her  servants,  did  not  apparently 
notice  their  presence.  In  silence  she  allowed  her  jewels  to  be 
removed,  which  Madame  de  Remusat  carefully  put  away  into 
their  caskets ;  in  silence  she  suffered  herself  to  be  divested  of 
her  blue  satin  dress,  embroidered  with  silver,  and  her  white 
satin  underskirt,  without  observing  that  her  first  maid  was 
absent.  When  her  wrapper  was  brought  by  the  second  maid, 
she  noticed  that  the  first  was  not  present. 

"Where  is  Dufour?"  she  asked,  hesitatingly. 

"  Your  majesty,  she  has  just  been  called  out  to  attend  to 
something  urgently  required  by  his  majesty  the  emperor," 
said  the  second  maid,  approaching  the  empress. 

But  Josephine  pushed  her  back.  "  To  attend  to  something 
urgently  required  by  the  emperor?"  she  asked,  breathlessly. 
"What  does  that  mean?  Ah,  there  is  Dufour!  What  could 
have  detained  her?"  And  she  rushed  toward  her  and  grasped 
her  hand. 

"  Dufour,  where  have  you  been?     What  is  the  matter?" 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  399 

"  Yonr  majesty,  Constant  wished  to  see  me.  I  beg  pardon 
for  coming  so  late,  but  it  was  something  very  urgent." 

"Urgent!  There  is  the  same  word  again,"  exclaimed 
Josephine.  "  What  was  it  that  was  'urgent?' ' 

"  Your  majesty,  M.  Constant  wanted  the  golden  travelling- 
case  of  the  emperor,  which  your  majesty  showed  to  the  jewel- 
ler to-day.  As  it  was  in  my  keeping,  he  applied  to  me  for 
it." 

"Well,  could  he  not  wait  until  to-morrow?"  asked  the 
empress. 

"  No,  your  majesty,  for  the  emperor  needs  the  travelling- 
case,  and  at  once." 

Josephine  uttered  a  cry.  "He  is  about  to  depart!  Oh,  I 
feel  he  is  going  to  leave  me!"  she  exclaimed,  almost  beside 
herself.  And  without  reflecting  and  hesitating,  regardless  of 
the  fact  that  she  was  undressed,  her  shoulders  bare,  and  her 
feet  incased  in  small  slippers  of  crimson  velvet — forgetful  of 
every  thing  but  the  distracting  thought  that  the  emperor  was 
leaving  her,  without  even  a  farewell,  she  ran  across  the  room 
toward  the  door. 

Vainly  did  Madame  de  Remusat  try  to  detain  her.  Jose- 
phine pushed  her  aside,  opened  the  door,  and  ran  out.  Breath- 
less, bathed  in  tears,  her  dishevelled  locks  streaming  in  the 
air,  she  hastened  through  the  rooms  and  magnificent  halls  in 
which  she  was  accustomed  to  appear  in  a  gorgeous  toilet,  and 
receive  the  homage  of  princes.  On  crossing  the  threshold  of 
the  first  reception-room  she  lost  one  of  her  slippers;  but  this 
modern  Atalanta  did  not  know  it  as  she  rushed  along  the  corri- 
dor and  down  the  stairs.  Having  reached  the  palace-yard, 
she  found  that  she  was  not  mistaken — there  stood  the  em- 
peror's travelling-carriage.  Roustan  and  Constant  were  wait- 
ing in  front  of  it,  but  she  passed  them  before  they  knew  what 
had  happened.  Trembling  and  weeping,  she  sat  down  in  the 
carriage. 

The  emperor  at  that  moment  entered  the  palace-yard,  while 
the  two  servants  were  still  standing  near,  speechless,  and  as  if 
paralyzed  with  terror.  He  took  no  notice  of  them,  and  as- 
cending the  steps  of  the  carriage  beheld  the  strange  white 
figure  within. 

"  What  is  that?"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  standing  still. 
"Who  is  there?" 

"  It  is  I,"  exclaimed  the  empress,  in  a  suppliant  voice.  "  I, 
Josephine!  You  wished  to  depart  again  without  me,  Boiia- 


400  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

parte;  but  I  will  not  suffer  you;  I  will  cling  to  you!  I  can- 
not leave  you!" 

She  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  but  Napoleon  pushed 
her  back.  "You  are  a  fool,  Josephine!"  he  said,  angrily. 
"  This  is  childish ;  you  ridiculously  retard  my  departure.  I 
do  not  wish  to  hear  any  more !  Be  kind  enough  to  leave  the 
carriage!  It  is  necessary  that  I  set  out  immediately." 

"But,  Bonaparte,  you  cannot  be  in  earnest,"  cried  Jose- 
phine, sobbing  aloud.  "  Have  mercy  on  me !  Do  not  drive  me 
from  you!  I  tell  you,  you  must  use  violence  to  remove  me! 
Oh,  have  pity  on  me — on  my  poor,  painful  heart,  and  let  me 
go  along  with  you!  Eemember  that  you  promised  me  the 
other  day  that  I  should  accompany  you  on  your  next  journey. 
Oh,  Bonaparte,  keep  your  word !  Keep  your  word  only  this 
time!  Have  pity  on  me,  and  let  me  accompany  you!"  She 
covered  his  lips  and  cheeks  with  her  kisses  and  tears.  Na- 
poleon's heart  seemed  to  be  softened,  for  he  involuntarily 
raised  his  arms  and  wound  them  around  Josephine's  neck. 
"How  cold  you  are!"  he  exclaimed.  "And  your  shoulders 
are  bare!  What  does  this  mean?" 

"  It  means,"  said  the  empress,  half  laughing,  half  weeping, 
"  that  I  was  just  about  retiring  when — when  I  heard  the  car- 
riage drive  up  to  the  door.  My  heart  told  me  that  you  in- 
tended to  leave  me,  and  that  I  would  not  have  time  to  dress 
if  I  wished  to  see  you,  and  therefore  I  came  at  once." 

"  And  indeed  you  were  right ;  if  you  had  come  a  minute 
later,  I  would  certainly  have  been  gone." 

The  emperor  entered  the  carriage,  closed  the  door,  and 
shouted  in  a  powerful  voice  out  of  the  window :  "  Have  every 
thing  the  empress  needs  for  her  toilet  sent  to  the  first  station, 
that  she  may  find  it  on  her  arrival.  Order  the  mistress  of 
ceremonies  to  set  out  immediately  with  her  majesty's  ladies 
of  honor.  They  must  be  at  Strasburg  on  the  18th.  For- 
ward!" 

Josephine  uttered  a  joyous  cry,  and  sat  down  on  the  em- 
peror's knees,  pressing  his  head  with  her  arms  against  her 
bosom.  He  laughed,  and  did  not  resist  her.  Eoustan  and 
Constant  ascended,  and  the  carriage  started. 

"Bonaparte,  thanks!  a  thousand  thanks!"  whispered  the 
empress.  "  Never  shall  I  forget  this  hour,  for  it  proves  to 
me  that  you  still  love  your  poor  Josephine,  or  that  at  least  you 
pity  her!" 

"  Oh,  you  know  full  well,  traitress,  that  I  cannot  withstand 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  401 

your  tears,"   said   Napoleon,    half  angrily,    half  smilingly. 
"But  you  are  almost  naked!" 

"  Yes,  I  am  naked,  as  it  behooves  a  beggar-woman  who  begs 
for  lovo  at  the  palace-gate,"  said  the  empress,  smiling.  "I 
hope,  my  emperor  and  lord  wrill  give  me  something  to  cover 
my  nakedness." 

"  Here  is  what  you  want,  you  impulsive  beggar!"  exclaimed 
Napoleon,  throwing  the  sable  robe,  which  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander had  presented  to  him,  over  her  shoulders,  and  wrapping 
it  carefully  around  her. 

"Accept  my  thanks!"  exclaimed  Josephine,  laughing;  "I 
will  wear  it  aa  a  token  of  your  kindness." 

"  You  will  not,"  quickly  replied  Napoleon.  "  I  merely  lend 
it  to  you  until  our  arrival  at  the  next  station,  where,  I  hope, 
we  shall  meet  a  courier  with  your  wardrobe." 

"  But  he  will  not  be  able  to  overtake  us  there,  Bonaparte, 
and  you  will  have  to  leave  me  the  robe  for  some  time  yet." 

"No;  he  will  travel  faster  on  horseback  than  we  in  our 
carriage.  I  would  have  no  objection  to  the  robe  myself,  for 
the  night  is  cold!" 

"  It  is  cold;  come,  I  will  let  you  have  part  of  it,"  wrapping 
it  around  the  emperor,  and  clinging  closely  to  him.  Napo- 
leon laughed,  and  winding  his  arms  around  the  slender  waist 
of  Josehpine,  pressed  her  to  his  breast.  She  laid  her  wearied 
head  silently  on  his  shoulder.  The  carriage  continued  the 
journey  without  interruption,  and,  exhausted  by  her  previous 
excitement,  she  closed  her  eyes  and  slept. 

Suddenly  the  voice  of  the  emperor  aroused  her.  They  had 
reached  the  first  station;  it  was  already  daylight.  The  mu-~ 
nicipal  officers  of  the  small  town  were  standing  in  front  of  the 
post-office  to  present  their  respects.  A  man,  mounted  on  a 
horse  covered  with  foam,  was  near  them.  It  was  the  courier 
who  had  brought  the  wardrobe  of  the  empress. 

"There  is  your  luggage,"  said  the  emperor,  pointing  smil- 
ingly at  a  small  leather  trunk  which  had  been  placed  on  the 
back  seat.  "  The  empress  has  set  out  as  a  travelling  ad- 
venturer!" 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,"  exclaimed  Josephine.  "It  is  just 
like  a  fairy-story.  Some  poor,  disowned  princess  is  met  oil 
her  journey  by  a  handsome  son  of  a  king,  who  takes  her  in 
his  arms,  gives  her  magnificent  dresses,  and  marries  her. 
I  thank  you,  my  friend,  and  now  I  will  attend  to  my  toilet." 

"  I  hope  not  here  in  the  carriage?"  asked  Napoleon,  in  sur- 


402  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

prise.  "  We  shall  have  the  trunk  carried  into  the  house ;  I 
believe  the  postmaster  has  a  room  where  you  can  dress,  and  a 
servant-girl  who  can  assist  you." 

"But,  Bonaparte,"  exclaimed  Josephine,  "do  you  not  see 
that  that  is  impossible?  It  is  daylight;  is,  then,  the  car- 
riage to  open  and  the  empress  to  alight  with  one  slipper  on 
her  feet,  to  be  triumphantly  conducted  into  the  house?  Ah, 
my  friend,  all  Europe  would  smile  at  the  idyllic  empress  who 
accompanied  her  husband  on  his  journey  in  such  a  dishabille." 

"It  is  true,"  said  Napoleon,  moodily,  "it  would  be  a  fine 
anecdote  for  the  so-called  legitimate  princes,  and  they  would 
proudly  laugh  at  the  violation  of  the  dehors  committed  by 
imperial  upstarts.  As  though  it  were  so  difficult  to  learn  the 
ridiculous  rules  of  their  etiquette,  if  one  should  deem  it 
worth  while!" 

Josephine  gently  patted  the  emperor's  forehead  with  her 
white  hand.  "  No  clouds  must  darken  my  morning  sun,"  she 
said,  "for  they  would  foretell  a  gloomy  day.  I  wish  you 
could  transform  yourself  into  my  maid." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  laughing.  "Transform 
myself  into  your  maid?" 

"And  why  not,  Bonaparte?"  asked  Josephine.  "Did  not 
your  brother,  the  great  Jove,  transform  himself  into  an  ox 
for  the  sake  of  Europa?  The  carriage  is  moving  again! 
Draw  the  curtains,  and  then,  my  dear  maid,  we  shall  com- 
mence dressing."  She  hastily  opened  the  small  travelling- 
trunk,  which  had  carefully  been  filled  with  every  thing 
required  for  her  toilet — small  velvet  gaiters,  a  comfortable 
velvet  cloak,  one  of  her  large  cashmere  shawls,  and  a  beauti- 
ful red  satin  dress  with  lace  trimmings. 

"You  will  have  but  little  trouble  with  me,"  said  the  em- 
press, busily  examining  the  contents  of  the  trunk.  "  Dear 
Madame  Remusat  has  arranged  every  thing  as  judiciously  as 
possible,  and  forgotten  nothing.  There  are  warm  gloves,  em- 
broidered handkerchiefs — in  short,  all  I  need.  Ah !  there  is 
but  one  thing  she  has  forgotten." 

"Well,  and  what  is  that?" 

"  It  is  a  mirror.  Bonaparte,  you  must  be  my  mirror  to-day. 
But  come  now,  my  dear  maid !  enter  upon  your  duties.  In 
the  first  place,  assist  me  in  putting  on  my  gaiters." 

"  What  admirable  ones  they  are!"  said  the  emperor.  "  Are 
these  tiny  things  really  large  enough  for  your  feet?" 

"  Yes.     Did  you  forget  that  your  Josephine  has  the  smallest 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  403 

and  prettiest  foot  in  all  France?  Formerly,  when  yon  were 
not  the  all-powerful  Napoleon,  but  the  brave  and  illustrious 
General  Bonaparte,  you  knew  it.  Ah,  I  wish  you  were  still 
General  Bonaparte,  and  we  lived  at  our  small  house  in  the 
Rue  Chantereine!" 

"  Indeed,  I  am  glad  that  I  am  no  longer  there,"  said  Napo- 
leon. "  It  seems  to  me  General  Bonaparte  did  not  forfeit  his 
glory ;  he  only  changed  his  title  and  position.  That  of  an 
emperor  is  not  so  bad,  and  the  Tuileries  a  very  pleasant  resi- 
dence. But,  Josephine,  let  me  see  whether  this  fairy-shoe  is 
really  large  enough  for  human  foot!" 

"Bonaparte,  envy  and  jealousy  prompt  you  to  say  so,"  said 
Josephine,  laughing.  "  You  cannot  comprehend  how  any  foot 
could  be  even  smaller  than  yours.  But  just  take  into  con- 
sideration that  you  are  the  great  Bonaparte,  and  that  I  am 
but  poor  little  Josephine — the  insignificant  creature  that  de- 
rives only  from  you  light  and  life.  Bonaparte,  you  have  the 
largest  foot  that  man  ever  had." 

"What!  I  have  the  largest  foot?"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  in 
surprise.  "  Why,  I  have  always  been  told  that  my  foot  was 
very  small." 

"Oh,  that  was  a  mistake,"  said  Josephine,  gravely,  "for 
how  would  it  otherwise  be  possible  for  you  to  trample  down 
the  whole  of  Europe  as  you  are  doing?" 

Napoleon  laughed.  "  Very  good,"  he  said,  "you  are  right; 
I  have  put  my  foot  on  the  neck  of  Europe,  and  shall  crush  all 
who  resist  me!" 

"  Bonaparte,"  exclaimed  Josephine,  menacingly,  "  no  politics 
now,  no  threatening  imperial  face!  Remember  that,  at  the 
present  moment,  you  are  nothing  but  my  maid.  There  is 
my  foot!  Put  on  my  gaiter,  and  see  whether  it  is  large 
enough!" 

Napoleon  at  once  obeyed,  his  wife's  toilet  commenced,  and 
the  first  day  of  their  journey  passed  in  laughter  and  affection- 
ate chatting.  The  empress  had  not  enjoyed  so  happy  a  day 
for  years.  All  cares  and  apprehensions  were  forgotten. 
What  did  light-hearted  Josephine  care  for  the  future? 

But,  alas!  the  second  day  was  different.  The  smiles  of 
the  unfortunate  woman  met  with  no  replv.  The  emperor  was 
taciturn  and  gloomy.  Wrapped  in  his  sable  robe,  he  was  lean- 
ing in  a  corner  of  the  carriage,  and  made  only  stern  and  brief 
answers  to  Josephine's  questions.  The  heart  and  countenance 
of  the  empress  grew  heavy  and  anxious. 


404  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"When  they  arrived  at  Strasburg  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth 
day,  each  of  them  sat  silent — the  empress  with  tearful  eye; 
the  emperor  frowning  and  stern.  Napoleon  offered  his  arm 
to  his  consort,  and  conducted  her  into  the  palace.  "  Good- 
night, Josephine,"  he  said,  standing  still  at  the  entrance  of 
the  rooms  destined  for  her,  "good-night!" 

"You  will  not  take  supper  with  me?"  asked  the  empress 
in  a  low,  imploring  voice. 

"No,  I  have  business  to  attend  to.  Good-night!"  And 
he  walked  away  without  saluting  or  even  looking  at  her. 
Josephine  went  into  her  rooms.  She  refused  to  partake  of 
refreshment,  and  avoided  the  necessity  of  admitting  the 
officials,  who  wished  to  pay  their  respects  to  her,  by  sending 
them  word  that  she  was  too  fatigued  to  receive  any  one. 
Alone  she  could  weep  without  being  disturbed. 

At  an  unusually  early  hour  on  the  following  morning  Na- 
poleon entered  her  room.  Josephine  was  just  about  to  dress, 
assisted  by  her  Parisian  maids.  He  motioned  them  to  with- 
draw, and  then  commenced  pacing  the  room  in  his  usual  man- 
ner, when  excited. 

"Napoleon,"  said  Josephine,  in  a  tremulous  voice,  "you 
have  come  with  bad  news.  My  heart  tells  me  so,  and  I  read 
it  on  your  gloomy  brow.  Speak,  and  tell  me  every  thing  at 
once.  I  am  prepared  for  it." 

"  Well,  then,  I  must  say,"  replied  Napoleon,  vehemently, — 
"you  cannot,  Josephine,  accompany  me  farther.  We  must 
part  this  hour.  I  yielded  to  your  wishes  in  spite  of  myself, 
but  only  thus  far !  A  new  campaign  is  about  to  begin ;  days 
of  battles,  troubles,  and  fatigues,  are  awaiting  me.  You  must 
not  and  cannot  share  them.  You  must  remain  here." 

Josephine  cast  a  melancholy  look  on  him.  "But  when  you 
have  conquered,  when  you  have  made  again  your  triumphant 
entry  into  Vienna,  will  you  then  call  me,  Napoleon?  Shall  I 
then  share  your  triumphs  as  I  used  to  do?  Bonaparte,  do  not 
now  make  an  evasive  reply !  Tell  me  the  truth,  for  I  can  bear 
it.  Tell  me,  when  the  fortune  of  war  has  favored  you — when 
you  have  vanquished  Austria,  as  you  have  hitherto  every  other 
enemy — will  you  then  call  me  to  you?  The  truth,  my  friend, 
the  truth!" 

"  Very  well,  I  will  tell  you  the  truth,"  exclaimed  Napoleon, 
after  a  brief  hesitation.  "  No,  Josephine — I  will  not.  You 
can  share  my  triumphs  no  more !" 

Josephine  uttered  a  cry,  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.     "  I 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  405 

am  doomed,  then,"  she  said,  "and  whatFouche  told  me  was 
true!" 

"What  did  he  tell  you?"  asked  the  emperor,  hastily. 

"  He  told  me  to  prepare  for  a  heavy  blow — that  you,  Napo- 
leon, had  secretly  applied  to  the  Emperor  Alexander  for  the 
hand  of  his  sister,  and  that  only  the  resistance  of  the  dowager 
prevented  you  from  accomplishing  your  purpose." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  moodily,  and,  as  if  absent- 
minded,  "yes,  the  proud  empress-dowager  hates  me,  and 
hastened  to  marry  her  daughter  to  a  petty  German  prince 
rather  than  let  her  become  the  consort  of  the  Emperor  of  the 
French.*  Well,  no  matter!  other  princes  have  daughters, 
too,  and  one  of  them  will  assuredly  be  only  too  happy  to  be- 
come my  wife!" 

"  Napoleon,  and  you  dare  tell  me  so?"  exclaimed  Josephine, 
reproachfully.  "  You  admit,  then,  that  you  are  about  to 
disown  me?" 

The  emperor  started.  "Pardon  me,  Josephine,"  he  said, 
in  confusion,  "  I  was  absent-minded,  I — 

"Yes,  you  were,"  interrupted  the  empress,  "and  while  so, 
you  betrayed  your  thoughts.  It  is  true,  then!  Cruel  man! 
You  have  forgotten  every  thing,  and  the  whole  past  has  been 
blotted  out.  You  can  seriously  think  of  parting  with  me, 
your  best  friend?" 

"No,  not  now,  Josephine,"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "You 
have  nothing  to  fear.  I  shall  not  enter  Germany  as  a  wooer, 
but  as  a  soldier,  and  I  do  not  desire  to  seek  myrtle-crowns,  but 
laurels!" 

"  But,  my  husband,  when  you  have  gained  fresh  laurels  and 
new  territories  with  the  blood  of  your  soldiers,  then,  I  sup- 
pose, Josephine  is  to  be  sacrificed?" 

Napoleon  did  not  reply.  lie  paced  the  room  slowly  and 
with  a  bowed  head.  Standing  still,  he  looked  with  sad  eyes 
in  his  consort's  tearful  face. 

"Josephine,"  he  said,  in  a  grave  voice,  "you  have  a  noble 
heart,  and  it  will  bear  the  truth.  Yes,  there  may  be  a  day 
when  we  shall  have  to  part,  although  I  love  you,  and  I  know 
well  that  you  are  the  only  faithful  friend  on  whom  I  can  rely! 

*  Napoleon  ordered  Talleyrand  at  Erfurt  to  inquire  of  the  Emperor  Alexander 
whether  he  would  permit  him  to  marry  his  sister.  Alexander  replied  that  nothing 
could  afford  him  greater  pleasure  than  that  Napoleon  should  become  his  brother-in- 
law,  but  the  matter  did  not  depend  on  his  decision  alone.  The  empress-dowager 
must  also  be,  consulted.  No  sooner  had  she  heard  of  Napoleon's  wishes  than  she  in- 
duced her  daughter  to  marry  the  Duke  of  Oldenburg.  The  notification  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  grand-duchess  to  this  German  prince  was  the  only  reply  that  was  ever 
made  to  Napoleon's  inquiring  wigh. 
R— MCIILBACH  ^OL-  1° 


406  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Judge,  therefore,  what  pangs  it  will  cost  me  when  obliged  to 
come  to  the  terrible  resolution  to  separate  from  you,  my 
guardian  angel !  But  I  belong  to  my  people — I  belong  to  my 
glory !  My  power  has  assumed  such  gigantic  proportions  that 
I  must  support  it  with  foundations  that  cannot  be  overthrown. 
The  Emperor  Napoleon  must  have  a  successor;  if  you  had 
given  birth  to  one,  I  should  never  have  parted  from  you. 
Now  all  hope  is  gone,  and  I  shall,  perhaps,  be  compelled  one 
day  to  look  for  a  consort  among  the  daughters  of  kings.  I 
really  do  not  wish  to  do  so,  but  my  duty  to  my  people  makes 
it  imperative." 

"No,  not  your  duty,  but  your  ambition!"  cried  Josephine, 
with  streaming  eyes.  "  You  have  sacrificed  every  thing  for 
that — your  tranquillity,  your  conscience,  the  blood  of  your 
soldiers,  and  now  your  wife!" 

"  Yes,  it  is  as  you  say,  Josephine,"  exclaimed  Napoleon; 
"  it  is  my  ambition  that  separates  me  from  you,  and  compels 
me  to  part  with  her  who  has  been  my  glory  and  my  life  for 
sixteen  years!  It  is  ambition  that  points  its  iron  arm  at  my 
imperial  crown,  and  commands  me  to  look  for  another  em- 
press, that  I  and  my  son  may  enter  the  ranks  of  legitimate 
princes.  I  have  formed  vast  plans ;  I  shall  soon  effect  new 
convulsions :  I  shall  vanquish  all  my  enemies,  and  Europe  will 
have  to  recognize  me  as  her  master.  But  when  nothing  re- 
mains to  wish  for — when  I  have  so  ascended  as  to  leave  no 
heights  above  me,  then  I  shall  think  of  securing  the  happiness 
and  peace  of  rny  people  and  of  my  empire.  To  do  so,  I  am 
in  need  of  a  direct  heir.  For  myself,  I  ask  and  wish  for 
nothing ;  but  my  glory  belongs  to  France.  After  my  death 
my  contemporaries  will  say  of  me,  '  He  was  the  only  one  who 
could  strive  for  universal  good,  while  his  individual  wishes  had 
been  gratified ;  others  thought  only  of  themselves — Bonaparte's 
wishes  and  deeds  were  for  his  country.  There  was  one  thing 
that  was  dear  to  him  personally,  and  that  was  his  wife !  But 
the  welfare  of  his  people  requiring  it,  he  sacrificed  this  beloved 
wife  to  their  interests. ' ' 

"Words!"  exclaimed  Josephine.  "You  are  vainly  trying 
to  conceal  your  innermost  thoughts  from  me.  I  know  you, 
Bonaparte,  and  can  read  your  soul!  You  wish  to  connect 
yourself  with  the  foremost  sovereign  houses  of  Europe,  because 
such  a  union  will  flatter  your  pride  and  your  insatiable  am- 
bition. When  you  are  the  son-in-law  of  an  emperor  or  a 
king,  you  will  believe  that  you  are  at  liberty  to  do  every  thing 


JOSEPHINE'S  FAREWELL.  407 

with  impunity.  You  will  deem  yourself  a  demi-god,  and, 
accompanied  by  your  victorious  legions,  you  will  march  to 
the  conquest  of  the  whole  world.  But  that  will  not  be  your 
destiny.  You  believe  you  can  enslave  the  nations.  Beware 
lest  they  one  day  awake,  break  their  chains,  and  take  a  terri- 
ble revenge  on  the  tyrant  whom  they  allowed  so  long  to  op- 
press them!  Seduced  by  your  illusive  ambition,  you  will 
disown  Josephine?  Infatuated  man!  you  will  perceive  too 
late  that  you  walk  near  a  volcano.  Oh,  Bonaparte,  I  tremble 
and  weep  for  you !  Eemember  that  you  have  often  called  me 
your  guardian  angel.  Believe  me,  when  you  disown  me,  you 
disown  your  good  fortune.  It  will  forsake  the  faithless  man, 
and  your  star  will  sink  in  an  eternal  night!  That  is  what 
wounds  my  heart,  and  drives  me  to  despair.  You  will  be 
alone  in  the  midst  of  traitors  and  false  friends.  When  Jose- 
phine is  with  you  no  more,  no  one  will  have  good  intentions 
toward  you.  No  one  will  dare  tell  you  the  truth,  when  you 
lose  your  best  friend.  Falsehood  will  flatter  you,  but  only  to 
lead  you  to  the  verge  of  the  precipice!"  The  empress,  with 
quivering  limbs  and  pale  features,  sank  on  a  chair,  and  cov- 
ered her  face. 

A  long  pause  ensued.  Napoleon  gloomily  continued  walk- 
ing the  room.  At  last  he  approached  Josephine,  and  gently 
laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder.  "  Do  not  weep,"  he  said,  im- 
ploringly. "  We  have  once  more  allowed  phantoms  to  frighten 
us,  and  quarrelled  about  things  that  belong  to  the  future. 
You  are  still  my  wife,  and  who  knows  whether  you  will  not 
always  remain  mine?  Who  knows  whether  you  will  not  soon 
be  my  widow?  I  am  about  to  enter  into  another  war,  and  it 
will  be  a  desperate,  obstinate  struggle,  in  which  old  Austria 
will  try  to  wrest  the  palm  of  victory  from  young  France. 
Victory  will  perch  on  my  banners.  I  have  no  doubt  of  that, 
but  who  knows  whether  I  shall  not  have  to  pay  for  it  with  my 
blood !  for  I  must  not  spare  myself — I  shall  always  be  at  the 
head  of  my  troops,  and,  like  my  private  soldiers,  with  them 
bare  my  own  breast  to  the  hail  of  bullets.  In  so  decisive  a 
struggle  as  will  take  place  now,  the  emperor  will  be  nothing 
but  a  soldier,  and  do  his  duty." 

"Oh,  Bonaparte!"  cried  Josephine,  rising  in  dismay  and 
clinging  to  him,  "oh,  have  mercy  on  my  heart!  Do  not 
rashly  expose  yourself  to  the  accidents  of  battle !  Remember 
that  the  fate  of  millions  depends  on  your  life!  Remember 
that  I  should  die  if  an  accident  befall  you!  Oh,  niy  dearest 


408  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA 

husband,  be  kind  and  generous — spare  yourself,  and  spare  my 
love!" 

"  Then  you  love  me  in  spite  of  your  gloomy  forebodings?" 
asked  Napoleon,  with  a  gentle  smile.  "  Oh,  I  know  my 
Josephine  is  my  most  faithful  and  best  friend,  and  whatever 
may  happen,  her  heart  will  always  be  mine.  Let  this  be  our 
farewell,  Josephine!  I  must  go;  I  must  depart  this  very 
hour.  To-morrow  I  join  my  army,  and  my  cannon  will  soon 
announce  to  Germany  that  the  victor  of  Austerlitz  and  Jena 
is  demonstrating  his  right  to  rule,  and  at  his  own  pleasure  to 
destroy  or  create  kingdoms. " 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

FERDINAND    VON    SCHILL. 

A  TRAVELLING  carriage  stopped  in  front  of  the  house  on 
Frederick  Street  in  which  Major  von  Schill  had  established 
his  headquarters  since  his  regiment  had  been  sent  to  Berlin. 
The  horses  were  wet  with  perspiration,  and  the  carriage  was 
covered  with  mud.  Every  thing  indicated  that  the  young 
man  seated  in  it  had  made  a  long  and  hurried  journey,  and 
his  exhausted  and  anxious  face  induced  the  belief  that  the  ob- 
ject could  not  but  be  highly  important.  He  alighted  hastily, 
and  approached  the  house,  in  front  of  which  a  crowd  of  idlers 
were  staring  at  the  windows,  Addressing  one  of  them,  he 
asked,  "  Can  you  tell  me  whether  Major  von  Schill  lives  in 
this  house?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man,  proudly;  "every  good  citizen  of  Ber- 
lin can  tell  you  that  Major  Ferdinand  von  Schill,  the  favorite 
of  our  people  and  of  all  partriotic  Germans,  lives  here." 

The  young  man  smiled.  "And  can  you  tell  me  whether 
Major  von  Schill  is  at  home?" 

"  Well,  what  should  we  stand  here  for,  if  Schill  were  not  at 
home?  We  are  only  here  to  see  and  salute  him  when  he  ap- 
pears at  the  window,  and  to  escort  him  when  he  leaves  the 
house.  He  is  always  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  honor,  com- 
posed of  citizens  of  Berlin,  and  the  cheers  never  cease  wher- 
ever he  may  be.  I  myself  have  not  yet  seen  him,  for  I  was  ill. 
But  yesterday  was  my  birthday,  and  my  wife  presented  me 
with  a  pipe-bowl  with  Schill's portrait;  my  daughter  says  he 
is  the  best-looking  man  in  the  world,  and  she  has  bought  a 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  409 

locket  with  his  portrait,  which  she  is  wearing  on  her  neck.  I 
have  come  to  see  whether  the  portraits  so  much  in  vogue  are 
like  him,  and  whether  he  is  not  only  the  bravest  soldier,  but, 
as  the  girls  pretend,  the  finest-looking  man.  I  will  cheer  so 
vigorously  as  to  shake  the  statues  on  the  arsenal.  I  suppose 
you  have  also  come  to  see  him?" 

"  That  is  all  I  have  come  for,"  said  the  young  man,  and, 
turning  to  the  postilion,  who  had  just  unhitched  his  horses, 
he  shouted : 

"  Postilion,  when  you  arrive  at  the  post-office,  order  im- 
mediately some  fresh  horses  for  me  and  send  them  hither. 
I  shall  set  out  for  home  in  half  an  hour!" 

He  then  walked  toward  the  house,  elbowing  himself  through 
the  constantly  increasing  crowd,  and  reached  the  door.  After 
rapidly  crossing  the  hall,  he  went  upstairs.  A  footman, 
dressed  in  a  rich  livery,  who  was  pacing  the  corridor  ou  the 
upper  floor,  looked  inquiringly  at  the  young  stranger. 

"Does  Major  von  Schill  live  here?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  is  he  at  home?" 

"  I  am  not  quite  sure — I  rather  believe  he  has  gone  out. 
He  is  subjected  to  visits  and  invitations  to  such  an  extent, 
that  I  really  do  not  know  whether  there  are  persons  with  him 
at  present,  or  whether  some  of  his  admirers  have  taken  him  to 
another  banquet  to  be  given  in  his  honor.  The  people  of  Ber- 
lin are  perfectly  infatuated  Avith  my  master,  and  if  an  angel 
should  appear  upon  earth,  they  could  not  pay  more  deference 
to  him.  The  fuss  they  are  making  about  him  has  positively 
made  him  ill.  Day  and  night  he  must  attend  parties,  listen, 
and  reply  to  a  thousand  speeches,  and  take  wine  with  every- 
body; and  then,  again,  the  ladies  are  not  the  least  active  in 
demonstrating  his  popularity.  Oh,  the  people  of  this  city 
will  certainly  kill  my  dear,  good  master  in  this  way,  and  I 
must  see  to  it  that  he  gets  occasionally  a  little  rest,  and  is  able 
to  take  a  peaceful  nap  on  his  sofa.  I  think  I  must  tell  you 
now,  sir,  that  Major  von  Schill  is  not  at  home.  lie  returned 
only  at  daybreak  from  a  ball  which  the  city  of  Berlin  gave  in 
his  honor;  at  noon  lie  will  have  to  attend  a  banquet  to  which 
the  governor  of  Berlin,  General  von  Lestocq,  has  invited  him, 
and  which  is  in  fact  another  testimonial  of  the  public  respect 
for  him.  Major  von  Schill  must  have  some  repose,  or  his 
popularity  will  be  the  death  of  him.  Please  return  some 
other  time.  You  cannot  see  him  to-day." 


410  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  But,  my  friend,  I  cannot  return,"  said  the  stranger.  "I 
am  not  one  of  the  citizens  of  Berlin,  but  I  am  an  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  Schill,  and  have  travelled  three  days  and  nights 
without  interruption,  in  order  to  bring  important  news  to 
him." 

"  Ah,  that  alters  the  case,"  said  the  footman.  "  If  you  bring 
important  news  for  my  master,  I  will  go  and  see  whether  he  is 
at  home." 

"Do  so,  my  friend,  and  tell  the  major  that  Referendary 
von  Bothmar  has  come  from  Cassel  expressly  to  see  him." 

The  footman  nodded,  and  hastened  into  the  room,  the  door 
of  which  he  had  hitherto  guarded  with  the  affection  of  a 
friend  and  the  obstinacy  of  a  faithful  sentinel.  He  returned 
in  a  few  minutes,  opened  the  door,  and  exclaimed :  "  The 
major  requests  you  to  come  in!" 

M.  von  Bothmar  entered.  In  obedience  to  the  sign  the 
footman  made  to  him,  he  crossed  the  anteroom  and  opened 
the  door  of  the  one  adjoining.  A  fine-looking  man  in  the 
uniform  of  a  major,  with  a  fresh,  florid  countenance,  and  high 
forehead  adorned  with  a  broad  scar,  came  to  meet  him.  It 
was  Ferdinand  von  Schill,  the  lieutenant  of  the  queen's 
dragoons,  who,  ever  since  the  disastrous  battle  of  Jena,  had 
given  such  brilliant  proofs  of  his  courage  and  patriotism  at 
Kolberg  (and  during  the  guerilla  warfare  he  had  afterward 
entered  into  on  his  own  responsibility),  that  the  people  hoped 
he  would  become  the  savior  of  the  country.  The  King  of 
Prussia  had  promoted  him  to  a  majority,  and  conferred  on 
his  regiment  the  honorary  distinction  that  it  should  be  the 
first  Prussian  regiment  that  was  to  make  its  entry  into  Berlin 
after  the  French  had  evacuated  the  capital. 

"  Let  me  welcome  you,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Schill,  kindly 
offering  his  hand  to  the  young  man.  "  You  told  my  footman 
you  had  come  from  Cassel  to  bring  important  news  to  me. 
You  are,  therefore,  a  good  German  patriot,  and  I  may  greet 
M.  von  Bothmar  as  a  friend  and  brother.  But  let  me  hear 
what  you  bring — glad  tidings,  I  suppose?" 

"No,  major,  but  important,"  said  M.  von  Bothmar. 

Schill  became  uneasy,  and  a  deep  blush  crimsoned  his 
cheeks  for  a  moment.  "  You  know  Dornberg?"  he  inquired. 

"  I  know  him,  and  I  was  also  aware  of  his  plan,  and  of  the 
day  and  hour  when  his  blow  was  to  be  struck." 

"Then  he  has  commenced  already?"  asked  Schill. 

"Yes,   commenced  and    ended,"  said    Bothmar,   mourn- 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  411 

fully.  "Our  noble  Dornberg  expected  too  much  of  the 
patriotism  of  the  Hessians.  He  arrived  with  the  legion  of 
his  peasants  as  far  as  Cassel,  and  called  upon  the  soldiers  to 
join  him  in  order  to  expel  King  Jerome  and  his  French  min- 
ions. But  the  soldiers  did  not  listen  to  him;  they  obeyed  the 
orders  of  their  officers,  and  turned  their  arms  against  their 
German  brethren,  who  were  soon  routed  and  dispersed." 

"This  is  really  dreadful!"  ejaculated  Schill.  "And 
Dornberg?" 

"  Dornberg  succeeded  in  making  his  escape;  he  will  prob- 
ably go  to  Prague,  where  the  Elector  of  Hesse  is  at  present 
residing." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  that  he  is  at  least  safe,"  exclaimed  Schill, 
breathing  more  freely.  "  The  defeat  is  a  disastrous  blow,  to 
be  sure,  but  the  good  news  that  we  have  just  received  will 
afford  us  consolation  for  it.  The  Archduke  Charles  has 
gained  a  glorious  victory  over  the  French  at  Hof." 

"  Can  that  be  positively  true?"  exclaimed  Bothmar.  "  Dur- 
ing my  whole  journey  I  did  not  hear  a  word  about  it.  On  the 
contrary,  I  learned  everywhere  only  the  mournful  intelligence 
that  Napoleon  had  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  army,  and 
was  advancing  victoriously  in  the  direction  of  Vienna." 

"  And  yet  my  statement  is  perfectly  true.  General  Lestocq, 
governor  of  Berlin,  in  joyful  commemoration  of  this  victory, 
issued  to-day  the  countersign  of  'Charles  and  Hof!' ' 

"Heaven  grant  that  you  are  correctly  informed,  and  that 
the  general  is  not  mistaken!"  said  M.  von  Bothmar,  sighing. 
"  Pardon  me  for  not  sharing  your  confidence.  The  deplorable 
turn  our  affairs  have  taken  in  Hesse  has  discouraged  me,  and 
then — but  I  am  not  through  yet  with  the  news  which  brought 
me  to  you." 

"Speak,  sir, — what  else  has  happened?"  exclaimed  Schill. 

"Excuse  me,"  said  M.  von  Bothmar,  "should  I  assume  the 
semblance  of  one  of  your  most  trusted  confidants,  and  take  the 
liberty  of  speaking  to  you  about  your  most  secret  plans.  You 
intrusted  to  your  faithful  friend  and  follower,  Rornberg,  let- 
ters and  proclamations  to  be  circulated  in  Westphalia.  Am 
I  right?" 

"  You  are." 

"  You  gave  to  him  private  letters  for  Counsellor  von 
Ledebour,  at  Bielefeld,  and  for  Colonel  von  Sobbo,  who  were 
to  head  the  insurrection  in  that  part  of  the  country?" 

"  I  did,  sir;  you  are  right." 


412  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Well,  then,  major,  Romberg  was  arrested  at  Magdeburg; 
all  his  papers,  letters,  and  proclamations,  were  seized,  and 
General  Michaud  sent  him  under  guard  to  Cassel." 

"  Eomberg  imprisoned !  My  dear,  faithful  Eomberg  in 
danger!"  exclaimed  Schill,  mournfully. 

"No,"  said  M.  von  Bothmar,  solemnly,  "Eomberg  is  no 
longer  imprisoned;  he  is  not  now  in  danger." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  Eomberg,  immediately  after  his  arrival  at 
Cassel,  was  tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  that  sentence  of 
death  was  at  once  passed  upon  him. " 

"  He  has  been  shot?" 

"Yes,  Schill,  Eomberg  has  been  shot." 

Schill  uttered  a  cry,  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 
"Oh!"  he  murmured,  "I  have  lost  my  most  faithful  friend, 
and  Germany  one  of  her  noblest  sons.  He  was  an  humble 
peasant,  but  the  heart  of  a  great  patriot  was  throbbing  under 
his  blouse.  He  was  the  Andrew  Hofer  of  the  North,  and  his 
death  is  a  terrible  disaster!  But  I  will  not  complain,"  added 
Schill — "  no,  I  will  not  complain.  Blessed  are  the  dead,  and 
who  knows  how  soon  we  ourselves  shall  have  to  bid  farewell  to 
life?  The  storm  is  threatening  us  on  all  sides." 

"  And  it  is  threatening  our  noble  Schill,  the  hope  of  Ger- 
many," exclaimed  M.  von  Bothmar.  "I  have  told  you  that 
all  Eomberg's  papers  were  seized,  and  among  them  the  letters 
which  you  wrote  to  your  friends  Ledebour  and  Sobbe.  Your 
proclamations  were  read  by  the  French  authorities,  and  as  they 
thereby  became  aware  of  your  plans,  they  will  at  once  take 
steps  to  put  a  stop  to  your  agitation,  and,  if  possible,  put  you  to 
death.  Would  Prussia  be  powerful  and  courageous  enough 
to  protect  you,  if  the  King  of  Westphalia  should  charge  you 
with  being  a  traitor  and  demagogue,  and  if  Napoleon  should 
insist  on  your  punishment?" 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Schill,  "you  point  out  to  me  an  imminent 
danger,  from  which  I  can  only  escape  by  striking  immediately. 
If  we  give  our  enemies  time  to  mature  their  plans,  all  will  be 
lost.  We  must,  therefore,  act  at  once.  We  must  hesitate  no 
longer,  but  begin  even  before  my  comrades  here  have  learned 
that  Eomberg  did  not  succeed  in  his  enterprise.  We  may  be 
more  successful,  for  God  will  perhaps  be  merciful  to  me :  He 
has  decreed,  perhaps,  that  Schill  shall  first  of  all  break  the 
chains  imposed  on  us  by  the  foreign  despot." 

"  Germany  hopes  in  Schill,"  exclaimed  Bothmar,  enthusias- 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  413 

tically,  "  and  hence  I  was  bold  enough  to  violate  the  oath  of 
allegiance  which  I  had  taken  to  King  Jerome,  and  disclose  to 
the  German  hero  the  danger  menacing  him.  I  am  a  refer- 
endary at  the  department  of  state  in  Cassel,  and  accordingly 
I  soon  heard  of  the  danger  to  which  you  are  exposed.  Under 
the  pretext  that  I  intended  to  enforce  tranquillity  and  obe- 
dience among  the  peasants  on  my  estate,  situated  a  few 
miles  from  Cassel,  I  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  six  days, 
and  hastened  hither.  I  set  out  from  there  three  days 
ago,  and,  thank  God !  I  have  found  you  in  time  to  give  you 
warning." 

"  Thanks  to  you,"  exclaimed  Schill,  affectionately  embracing 
M.  von  Bothmar;  "you  have  saved  my  life,  perhaps;  at  all 
events,  you  have  rendered  an  important  service  to  the  sacred 
cause  of  the  fatherland." 

"  Every  one  must  serve  the  fatherland  in  his  own  way,  and 
according  to  his  ability,"  said  Bothmar,  gently;  "you  are 
serving  it  by  your  heroic  arm  and  soul-stirring  example;  I  am 
doing  so  by  trying  at  least  to  prevent  mischief,  and  to  assist 
my  brethren  as  much  as  I  can.  My  task  now  is  accomplished ! 
Farewell !  and  may  Heaven  grant  victory  to  your  patriotic 
zeal !" 

"Where  are  you  going?"  said  Schill,  grasping  Bothmar's 
arm  and  detaining  him.  "  You  must  not  leave  me  yet ;  you 
must  remain  here  at  least  to-day,  that — but  what  is  the  mean- 
ing of  this  bugle-call?" 

"  It  means  that  the  postilion  has  arrived  with  horses,  and 
calls  me,"  said  M.  von  Bothmar,  smiling. 

"What!  You  have  travelled  three  days  and  three  nights, 
and  are  departing  so  soon?" 

"  Have  I  not  told  you  that  I  obtained  leave  of  absence  only 
for  six  days?  Well,  then,  three  days  hence  I  shall  be  in  Cas- 
sel  again,  and,  I  believe,  I  have  improved  my  six  days  in  a 
highly  commendable  manner." 

"Farewell,  noble  young  man!  when  we  meet  again,  Ger- 
many, if  it  please  God,  will  be  free  and  happy!" 

"  Oh,  may  it  be  so!"  said  M.  von  Bothmar,  sighing.  "  Be 
prudent,  sir,  do  not  endanger  your  life;  remember  that  it 
does  not  belong  to  you,  but  to  the  fatherland,  and  now  fare- 
well! The  impatient  postilion  is  sounding  his  bugle  again. 
Farewell!" 

He  quickly  left  the  room,  but  Schill  accompanied  to  the 
staircase  the  friend  he  had  gained  so  suddenly.  He  returned 


414  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

to  his  room  and  hastened  to  the  window,  to  wave  his  hand 
once  more  to  M.  von  Bothmar.  Loud  cheers  greeted  him  as 
soon  as  his  countenance  was  recognized  behind  the  window- 
panes;  the  crowd  in  front  of  the  house  constantly  increased, 
and  when  he  appeared  to  the  longing  eyes  of  the  citizens,  they 
could  not  suppress  their  loud  huzzas. 

"  They  do  me  too  much  honor,"  said  Schill  to  himself,  smil- 
ing, and  stepping  back  from  the  window.  "  But  their  love 
and  its  boisterous  demonstrations  are  not  exactly  intended  for 
myself  individually.  These  kind  people  greet  in  me  the  first 
hope  dawning  to  them  after  a  long  period  of  darkness ;  and, 
therefore,  I  will  joyfully  indulge  them,  and  I  will  thank 
them  by  brave  deeds.  Yes,  by  deeds !  The  time  of  procrasti- 
nation is  over.  I  must  hesitate  no  longer:  I  must  act!" 

His  servant  entered  and  handed  him  some  letters  just 
brought  for  him.  He  opened  and  read  them  rapidly.  The 
perfume  of  the  firs,  written  on  rose-colored  note-paper,  made 
him  smile.  "  It  is  the  sixth  declaration  of  love  that  I  have 
received  to-day,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "and  the  sixth  re- 
quest for  a  rendezvous  to-night.  Oh,  women !  how  innocent 
in  your  enthusiasm  for  poor  Schill !  You  imagine  you  love 
me,  and  do  not  know  that  it  is  the  fatherland  that  you  love  in 
me!  I  will  reconquer  your  country,  and  bring  back  that 
sweet  liberty  which  the  tyrant  has  taken  from  us.  Until 
then,  no  Cupid's  love!  My  heart  must  belong  wholly  to 
Germany!" 

He  read  the  second  letter.  "  Another  painter  asks  me  to 
sit  to  him!  Why,  have  not  the  people  already  portraits 
enough  of  poor  Schill?  Has  not  every  old  citizen  my  head  on 
his  pipe  or  his  snuff-box?  Does  not  every  pretty  girl  wear  my 
scarred  face  in  her  locket?  I  have  no  time  to  spare  for 
painters;  I  must  take  the  field!" 

He  opened  the  third ;  but  while  he  read  it,  his  eyes  were 
sad.  "  Again  the  same  admonition  which  I  have  so  often  re- 
ceived. Do  they  doubt  my  patriotism?  Do  they  believe 
that  I  am  a  traitor,  and  will  suffer  the  opportunity  to  pass 
by  without  improving  it?" 

He  looked  at  the  letter  again,  which  contained  only  the 
following  words:  "Brutus,  thou  sleepest,  awake!"* 

"No,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  powerful  voice,  "I  do  not  sleep. 

*  Schill  received  almost  daily,  from  various  parts  of  Germany,  letters  containing 
nothing  but  those  words.  A  secret  society,  extending  throughout  Germany,  seemed 
to  have  made  it  a  special  duty  to  instigate  Schill  to  strike  the  blow,  lest  the  homage 
be  received  in  Berlin  should  render  him  forgetful  of  his  mission. 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  415 

I  am  awake,  and  behold  the  golden  dawn  of  freedom!  0 
Germany,  my  arm  and  my  honor  belong  to  thee!  To  thee — 
and  to  her!"  he  whispered,  almost  inaudibly.  "  Yes,  to  her — 
the  genius  of  Prussia!  For  her  I  will  sacrifice  my  life!" 

The  door  opened  again,  and  the  footman  entered.  "  Major, 
there  is  another  gentleman  who  desires  to  see  you  on  pressing 
business.  I  wanted  to  turn  him  off,  but  he  said  it  was  indis- 
pensable for  him  to  see  you.  He  told  me  he  wished  to  deliver 
to  the  major  something  that  would  gladden  his  heart.  His 
name  is  High-Chamberlain  von  Schladen,  and  he  said  he  had 
just  arrived  from  Konigsberg." 

"Show  him  in  at  once,"  exclaimed  Schill,  but,  in  his  im- 
petuosity, he  himself  led  the  way  and  opened  the  door. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  High-Chamberlain,  and  forgive  me  for  mak- 
ing you  wait  even  a  moment,"  he  said,  offering  his  hand  to 
M.  von  Schladen,  and  conducting  him  into  his  sitting-room. 
"You  come  from  Konigsberg?" 

"  Y"es,  major,  and  I  bring  you  greetings  from  your  friends, 
from  the  brethren  of  the  great  league,  and  also  from  the  king 
and  the  queen." 

"She  really  told  you  to  greet  me  in  her  name?"  asked 
Schill.  "  Oh,  do  not  deceive  me;  tell  me  the  truth!  Did  the 
queen  really  tell  you  that?" 

"She  did  more  than  that,  major,"  said  M.  von  Schladen, 
smiling;  "she  intrusted  to  me  a  present  for  you,  which  I  am 
to  deliver  to  yourself,  and  which  she  made  for  you  with  her 
own  hands." 

At  this  moment  Schill  was  a  truly  handsome  man.  If  the 
ladies  and  the  painters  of  Berlin  had  seen  him  just  then,  they 
would  have  been  transported  at  his  noble  countenance,  as 
his  black  eyes  sparkled  with  joy.  "  The  queen  sends  me  a 
present!"  he  exclaimed — "a  present  which  she  herself  has 
made!" 

"  Yes,  and  on  which  she  inscribed  your  name  with  her  own 
hand,  that  it  might  be  to  you  a  plain  and  undeniable  proof  of 
her  favor." 

"Oh,  give  it  to  me,  sir!"  exclaimed  Schill,  stretching  out 
his  hands. 

M.  von  Schladen  drew  a  small  package,  wrapped  in  paper, 
from  his  bosom,  and  handed  it  to  Schill. 

"On  my  knees  will  I  receive  this  present  from  my  queen!" 
exclaimed  Schill.  "  Oh,  it  seems  to  me  as  though  she  were 
standing  before  me,  looking  at  me  with  that  sad  smile  which 


416  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

brings  tears  into  the  eyes  of  all  who  behold  her !  When  I  was 
at  Konigsberg  the  other  day,  it  was  permitted  me  to  speak  to 
her,  and  press  my  lips  on  her  hand.  With  that  kiss  I  devoted 
myself  to  her  for  my  whole  life,  and  she  is  ever  before  my 
eyes,  clothed  in  a  sort  of  divine  beauty — as  a  Madonna  hold- 
ing the  Messiah  of  Freedom  in  her  arms!  And  the  noble 
queen,  to  whom  I  pray  every  night  as  to  a  saint,  sends  me  a 
present  which  she  has  made  for  me  with  her  own  hands?  Oh, 
am  I  worthy  of  such  kindness;  have  I  done  any  thing  entitling 
me  to  such  a  proof  of  condescension  on  her  part,  and  am  I 
thus  honored  by  her  who  is  the  guardian  angel  of  Prussia! — 
whom  Napoleon  hates,  because  he  fears  her  zeal  and  fidelity. 
As  a  vestal,  she  has  kept  alive  the  fire  of  patriotism  on  the 
altar  of  her  country.  When  all  despair,  she  still  hopes  for  the 
redemption  of  her  people  from  a  victorious  but  merciless 
enemy.  I  will  consecrate  my  life  anew  to  her,  though  un- 
worthy of  the  distinguished  regard  she  bestows  on  me  by  this 
present,  the  work  of  her  own  royal  hands." 

"  Yes,  but  you  are  worthy  of  the  favor  of  our  noble  queen," 
said  M.  von  Schladen,  solemnly,  "  for  you  are  the  representa- 
tive hero  of  Germany,  and  Heaven  has  decreed,  perhaps,  that 
you  should  break  the  first  link  of  the  chain  with  which  the 
usurper  has  fettered  our  country.  As  soon  as  that  link  is 
broken,  it  will  be  easy  to  break  the  rest.  You,  Major  von 
Schill,  are  the  hope  of  Germany — the  hope  of  Queen  Louisa. 
Take,  then,  the  present  which  she  sends  you,  worthy  cham- 
pion of  the  cause  of  her  country!" 

He  handed  the  package  to  the  major.  Schill,  kneeling, 
took  it  and  unfolded  the  wrapper.  It  contained  a  magnificent 
memorandum-book,  embroidered  in  gold,  and  closed  with  a 
gold  pencil.  Schill  admired  the  rich  art  displayed  in  the 
book,  and,  opening  it,  looked  for  the  autograph  of  the  queen. 
He  uttered  a  joyful  cry.  The  queen  had  written  these  words, 
in  small,  neat  characters:  "For  brave  Major  von  Schill. 
Louisa." 

Schill  pressed  his  lips  on  the  words,  and  then,  closing  the 
book,  put  it  into  his  bosom,  and  rose  from  his  knees.  "  It 
will  rest  on  my  heart  as  long  as  I  live,"  he  said;  "its  every 
pulsation  belongs  to  her!  And  now,  M.  von  Schladen,  what 
is  the  state  of  affairs  at  Konigsberg?  What  hopes  are  enter- 
tained there?" 

"Hopes!"  exclaimed  M.  von  Schladen,  with  a  mournful 
smile;  "none — only  apprehensions." 


FERDINAND  VON  SCHILL.  417 

"  And  they  do  not  yet  think  of  bidding  defiance  to  the 
tyrant,  and  of  recalling  noble  Baron  von  Stein?" 

"No,  they  dare  not  do  so.  Stein,  proscribed  by  Napoleon, 
forsaken  by  his  king,  who  sacrificed  him  at  the  emperor's  be- 
hest, is  living  in  exile,  deprived  of  his  whole  property,  which 
Napoleon  confiscated;  he  is  without  employment,  without 
influence,  far  from  his  country,  far  from  his  friends.  The 
Emperor  of  Austria  did  what  the  King  of  Prussia  dare  not  do : 
he  gave  an  aslyum  to  the  proscribed  patriot ;  Baron  von  Stein 
is  now  with  his  family  at  Briinn." 

"  And  the  king?"  asked  Schill.  "  Does  he  not  feel  it  as  a 
wound  to  bow  to  the  tyrant's  behest,  and  dismiss  his  noblest 
and  ablest  servant?" 

"He  does,  perhaps,"  replied  M.  von  Schladen,  hesitatingly; 
"  but  he  does  not  say  so.  The  afflictions  of  the  past  years 
have  broken  his  courage,  and  rendered  him  irresolute  and 
timid.  As  soon  as  he  received  Napoleon's  orders,  he  dis- 
missed Baron  von  Stein,  without  bestowing  any  token  of 
kindness  or  gratitude.  Every  true  Prussian  deeply  felt  this 
treatment;  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  upright  servants  of 
the  king,  District-Councillor  Scheffuer,  who  has  every  day 
interviews  with  the  queen,  dared  even  to  write  a  letter  to  the 
king,  informing  him  of  the  indignation  prevailing  every- 
where, lie  asked  the  king  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  all  good 
Prussians,  and  to  give  a  courageous  proof  of  his  royal  grati- 
tude toward  the  eminent  minister,  by  conferring  the  order  of 
the  Black  Eagle  upon  Baron  von  Stein." 

"  And  what  did  the  king  say  to  him?" 

"  He  replied  that  he  was  very  sorry  that  he  was  unable  to 
comply  with  this  request.  Although  he  entertained  the  high- 
est respect  for  Baron  von  Stein,  and  would  be  glad  to  confer 
this  exalted  distinction  on  him,  it  would  be  highly  improper 
at  the  present  time  to  make  so  dangerous  a  demonstration." 

"  Such  is  the  gratitude  of  kings  toward  their  faithful  ser- 
vants!" exclaimed  Schill,  in  a  tone  of  bitter  reproach;  "such 
is  the  manner  in  which  they  reward  those  who  have  sacrificed 
for  them  their  proj>erty  and  life!  But  we  do  not  struggle  for 
kings  and  princes;  we  are  serving  the  adored  fatherland;  we 
are  fighting  for  liberty,  and  the  death  which  we  find  on  the 
field  of  honor  is  an  order  of  the  Black  Eagle  which  the  great 
fatherland  confers  on  us!  0  Germany,  one  day  I  shall  also 
receive  this  honor  at  thy  hands;  free  Germany  will  adorn  my 
corpse  with  it!" 


418  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Oh,  what  desponding  words  you  are  now  uttering!"  said 
M.  von  Schladen,  anxiously.  "  Who  can  be  courageous  and 
hopeful  when  Schill  talks  of  death?" 

"I  am  not  desponding,"  exclaimed  Schill,  smiling,  "but  I 
have  a  foreboding  that  I  am  to  seal  my  love  for  Germany  with 
my  heart's  blood.  I  am  almost  glad  of  it,  for  friendships  so 
sealed  are  said  to  be  eternal,  and  Germany  will,  perhaps,  re- 
vere my  memory  when  I  die  for  her. — And  Louisa!  What 
says  the  queen?  How  does  she  bear  these  days  of  humili- 
ation?" 

"  Like  a  heroine !  Like  a  queen  whose  kingdom  is  not  of 
this  world.  Her  cheeks  are  pale,  but  a  spirt  of  resignation 
pervades  her  countenance,  and  when  she  turns  her  blue  eyes 
upward,  there  is  an  expression  in  them  that  plainly  reveals 
her  yearning  for  a  home  in  heaven!" 

"But  her  health  is  good?"  inquired  Schill,  anxiously. 
"She  is  not  ill?" 

"  That  is  to  say,  she  is  not  positively  ill,  but  her  whole  life 
is  that  of  a  martyr.  Her  heart  is  broken;  she  suffers  men- 
tally, while  she  is  not  altogether  free  from  physical  pain. 
But  she  never  complains,  and,  alas!  the  physicians  know  of 
no  remedy.  There  is  but  one  for  our  smiling,  suffering 
queen,  and  that  is  the  deliverance  of  her  country!" 

"Germany  must  and  shall  be  delivered,"  exclaimed  Schill, 
enthusiastically.  "  Something  must  be  done !  We  must  arouse 
the  sleepers;  we  must  compel  them  to  act!" 

"You  are  right!  The  nation  must  wake  and  rise.  That 
is  the  opinion  of  all  patriots,  as  well  as  of  the  queen.  And 
we  are  looking  with  trusting  hearts  toward  you;  we  hope 
that  you  will  give  this  impetus  to  our  countrymen.  It  is 
out  of  the  question  to  hesitate  longer ;  we  must  act.  Austria 
is  in  the  field ;  her  people  are  exultingly  marching  to  vanquish 
the  tyrant,  who,  with  his  proud  armies,  has  again  penetrated 
into  Germany.  The  report  that  the  Archduke  Charles  has 
gained  a  victory  is  as  though  it  were  the  first  herald  announc- 
ing to  us  safety  and  restoration.  Hope  fills  every  heart.  As 
soon  as  Schill  unfurls  his  banner  and  calls  upon  his  brethren 
to  commence  the  holy  struggle  for  the  liberation  of  the  father- 
land, patriotic  men  from  all  the  states  of  Prussia  and  North 
Germany  will  rally  around  him ;  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people 
will  rush  like  a  torrent  carrying  away  the  king  and  his  minis- 
ters in  spite  of  themselves;  their  hesitations,  fears,  and 
cowardice,  will  be  overwhelmed  by  the  public  determination. 


SCHILL  TAKES  THE  FIELD.  419 

The  hope  of  the  queen  is  in  Schill's  heroic  example;  it  is  the 
hope  of  Gueiseuau,  Bliicher,  and  Schamhorst;  it  is  the  hope 
of  all !" 

"  And  it  shall  be  fulfilled,"  exclaimed  Schill.  "  Brutus  does 
not  sleep,  lie  is  awake,  and  ready  for  action.  I  swear  it  by 
this  precious  gift  of  my  queen!"  He  drew  the  memorandum- 
book  from  his  bosom.  Solemnly  laying  his  hand  on  it,  and 
raising  his  eyes  toward  heaven,  he  said :  "  I  swear  that  I  will 
draw  my  sword  now  for  the  fight  of  liberty — that  I  will  not 
sheath  it  until  this  sacred  cause  has  been  carried  to  a  glorious 
conclusion,  unless  forbidden  by  death  longer  to  serve  my 
queen  and  country!"  He  pressed  the  book  against  his  lips, 
and  then  opening  it  read  again  Louisa's  words.  As  he  turned 
over  the  leaves,  a  scrap  of  paper  fell  upon  the  floor.  Picking 
it  up,  he  saw  that  it  contained  a  single  line  written  in  the 
same  small  handwriting:  "  Der  Konig  schwankt;  Schill, 
ziehen  sie  mit  Gott!"  *  "  Yes,  Heaven  is  on  our  side,  to  fight 
for  Germany  and  her  noble  queen!"  exclaimed  Schill.  "I 
will  depart  to-morrow!" 


CHAPTER    XLVII. 

8CHILL    TAKES    THE     FIELD. 

THE  following  afternoon  (March  28,  1800)  Major  Ferdi- 
nand von  Schill  proceeded  with  his  regiment  through  the 
streets  of  Berlin  to  the  Halle  gate.  The  people  saluted  him 
everywhere  with  loud  cheers  and  waving  of  hats. 

Schill  thanked  them  more  gravely  than  he  had  hitherto 
done,  and  marched  his  soldiers  out  of  the  gate.  Xo  one  was 
surprised  at  this;  all  supposed  that  he  only  intended  to-day, 
as  he  had  often  done,  to  drill  his  troops  and  to  encamp  near 
the  city.  His  adjutants,  Biirsch  and  Liitzow,  were,  however, 
aware  of  his  plans,  and  had  secretly  made  preparations  to  carry 
them  into  effect. 

The  regiment  took  the  road  to  Potsdam.  Major  von  Schill 
and  his  two  adjutants  rode  at  its  head,  and  patriotic  songs 
from  the  soldiers  resounded  along  their  march.  About  half- 
way between  Berlin  and  Potsdam,  near  the  village  of  Steglitz, 
the  major  stopped  his  horse,  and,  with  a  wave  of  his  sword, 
ordered  the  regiment  to  halt;  then  to  move  from  the  road 

*  "  The  king  hesitates ;  Schill,  march  with  God  : " 


420  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

into  the  adjoining  field,  and  form  in  square.  The  command 
was  obeyed  in  a  few  minutes;  and  Major  von  Schill,  resting 
in  the  centre  on  his  chestnut  charger,  surveyed  his  men  with 
evident  pleasure. 

All  eyes  were  turned  toward  him — all  hearts  were  beating 
with  affection  for  that  man  of  indomitable  courage  towering 
above  them.  Addressing  them,  his  sonorous  voice  rang  over 
the  welkin  as  the  first  notes  of  a  trumpet  summoning  to  the 
field  of  blood. 

"Soldiers,"  he  said,  "comrades!  the  moment  has  come  to 
fight  the  enemy,  against  whom  all  our  souls  are  filled  with 
hatred — the  despoiler  of  thrones,  who  has  plunged  our  father- 
land into  such  distress;  who  has  trampled  under  foot  all  the 
rights  of  man ;  to  whom  no  treaty,  no  peace  is  sacred,  and 
who  is  only  waiting  for  an  opportunity  utterly  to  destroy  the 
constitution  of  our  country.  The  perfidious  oppressor  thus 
treated  Spain,  after  she  had  made  numerous  sacrifices  to  him 
in  order  to  preserve  peace.  He  intends  to  degrade  Prussia  in 
the  same  manner,  and  not  to  rest  until  he  has  dethroned  our 
beloved  king  and  prostrated  the  illustrious  dynasty  of  the 
Hohenzollerns.  But  never  shall  he  succeed  in  carrying  out 
so  nefarious  a  plan!  Austria,  Germany,  every  patriotic  heart 
is  rising  against  him,  and  we  Prussians  cannot  remain  behind. 
It  is  a  sacred  obligation  to  fight  for  the  fatherland,  for  our 
beloved  king,  for  the  queen  whom  we  all  worship,  a  precious 
token  from  whom  I  am  now  holding  in  my  hand,  and  for 
whom  we  are  ready  at  any  hour  to  die!" 

While  uttering  these  words,  Schill  waved  the  embroidered 
memorandum-book,  which  flashed  in  the  sunbeams  as  a 
trophy  and  pledge  of  victory. 

Shouts  burst  from  the  soldiers.  "Hurrah!"  they  cried, 
"long  live  the  king  and  the  queen!  long  live  Major  von 
Schill!" 

"Boys,"  exclaimed  Schill,  "will  you  follow  me,  and  fight 
for  Germany  and  our  king?" 

"  Yes,  we  will,  we  will!"  shouted  the  hussars,  drawing  their 
sabres  and  waving  them  over  their  heads. 

"  Will  you  swear  to  stand  by  your  commander  to  the  last 
extremity?" 

"  We  swear  to  stand  by  you  to  the  last!"  was  the  enthusias- 
tic answer,  while  the  soldiers  looked  exultantly  at  each  other, 
and  exchanged  congratulations  at  the  opening  of  the  cam- 
paign. But  no  one  had  thought  of  future  dangers  or  the 


SCHILL  TAKES  THE  FIELD.  421 

necessities  of  a  soldier's  life.  They  had  nothing  but  their 
uniforms;  leaving  in  Berlin  all  their  money  and  clothing, 
and,  unaware  of  this  sudden  movement,  they  had  not  even 
taken  leave  of  their  parents,  wives,  and  children.  Every 
thing  was  forgotten  in  their  partiotism,  so  soon  and  un- 
expectedly tested — in  their  glowing  desire  to  save  their  coun- 
try, and  gain  a  name  on  the  field  of  honor. 

The  march  was  continued  to  Potsdam.  There  they  rested 
over  night,  and  the  servants  of  the  officers  joined  them  in  the 
morning,  bringing  from  the  governor  of  Berlin  passports  for 
Schill.  The  brave  little  regiment  soon  after  left  for  an  as- 
sault on  the  fortress  of  Wittenberg.  It  was  not  taken,  but 
the  commander  of  Wittenberg  concluded  an  armistice  with 
Schill,  and  permitted  him  and  his  soldiers,  with  their  drums 
beating,  to  march  under  the  cannon  of  the  fortress,  and  to 
pass  the  bridge  built  at  that  place  over  the  Elbe. 

On  the  2d  of  May  the  regiment  reached  Dessau.  The  duke 
had  fled,  but  the  inhabitants  received  the  Prussian  hussars  in 
the  most  ardent  manner,  and  hailed  Schill  as  the  hero  who 
would  free  the  people  from  the  yoke  under  which  they  were 
groaning. 

The  expedition  was  no  longer  a  secret.  The  joyful  news 
spread :  "  Schill  has  taken  the  field  against  Napoleon ;  he  has 
called  the  Germans  to  arms,  and  they  will  rally  around  his 
banner!"  He  himself  believed  in  success,  firmly  convinced 
that  it  was  only  necessary  for  him  to  issue  a  proclamation,  and 
the  people  would  rise  en  masse.  lie  resolved  to  do  so  from 
his  headquarters  at  Dessau.  Xo  sooner  had  he  reached  that 
city  than  he  hurriedly  prepared  his  call  "To  the  Germans!" 
The  ink  was  not  yet  dry,  when  he  took  the  paper,  and,  ac- 
companied by  his  adjutants,  went  to  the  house  of  M.  Ilor- 
muth,  printer  to  the  court,  and  asked  to  see  him.  The 
printer  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  anxiously  asked  Schill 
his  business. 

"You  will  please  print  this  proclamation,  sir,"  said  Schill, 
handing  him  the  paper;  "  it  must  be  ready  in  an  hour." 

"Major,"  said  Hormuth,  glancing  despairingly  at  the 
scarcely  legible  handwriting,  "  I  cannot  print  it,  for  I  am 
unable  to  read  it." 

"  Oh,  I  will  read  it  to  you,"  exclaimed  Schill,  and  he  com- 
menced : 

"To  THE  GERMANS! — Brethren,  groaning  under  the  yoke 
of  a  foreign  nation !  the  moment  has  arrived  when  you  are 


432  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

able  to  break  your  chains,  and  to  regain  the  constitution 
under  which  you  have  lived  in  happiness  and  prosperity  for 
centuries,  until  the  boundless  ambition  of  a  conqueror  brought 
incalculable  calamities  upon  our  country.  Rise!  Be  men! 
Follow  me,  and  we  shall  again  be  what  we  were !  Ring  the 
tocsin!  Let  this  signal  fan  the  flame  of  patriotism  in  your 
hearts,  and  be  the  death-knell  of  your  oppressors !  Take  up 
arms!  Scythes  and  pikes  may  take  the  place  of  muskets. 
They  will  soon  be  replaced  by  English  weapons  already  arrived. 
Wielded  by  strong  arms,  even  the  peaceful  scythe  becomes 
fatal.  Let  every  one  arm  himself,  and  share  the  glory  of  the 
liberators  of  the  fatherland,  fighting  not  only  for  himself  but 
for  the  safety  and  happiness  of  future  generations!  He  who 
is  cowardly  enough  to  disobey  this  call,  will  be  consigned  to 
contempt  and  infamy.  No  noble  German  girl  will  ever  bestow 
her  hand  upon  such  a  traitor.  Courage !  God  is  with  us  and 
our  just  cause.  Let  the  old  men  pray  for  us!  The  armies  of 
Austria  are  advancing  victoriously,  notwithstanding  the 
boasts  of  the  French ;  the  brave  Tyrolese  have  already  broken 
their  chains;  the  courageous  Hessians  have  risen,  and  I  am 
hastening  to  you  at  the  head  of  well-tried  and  skilful  soldiers. 
The  just  cause  will  soon  conquer,  and  the  ancient  glory  of  our 
country  will  be  restored.  To  arms!  to  arms!  SCHILL." 

"  Now,  sir,"  said  Schill,  "  I  suppose  you  will  be  able  to  read 
my  handwriting  and  to  print  it?" 

"Now  that  I  know  the  contents,"  said  M.  Hormuth,  shak- 
ing his  head,  "I  know  also  that  he  who  prints  this  proclama- 
tion endangers  his  life,  and  that  he  may  lose  it  just  as  soon 
as  Palm.  Sir,  I  have  a  wife  and  children;  I  am  happy  with 
my  family;  hence  life  is  dear  to  me,  and  I  should  not  like  to 
lose  it  like  poor  Palm.  He  did  much  less  than  you  ask  me  to 
do.  He  only  circulated  a  pamphlet  hostile  to  the  French,  but 
I  am  to  print  a  proclamation  calling  upon  all  Germans  to  rise 
in  arms  against  the  Emperor  of  the  French.  Major,  I  risk 
my  life  by  complying  with  your  order." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Schill,  angrily;  "you  are  a  German, 
and  refuse  to  serve  the  holy  cause  of  your  country?  You  re- 
fuse to  print  this  proclamation?" 

"No,  I  will  print  it,"  said  M.  Hormuth,  slowly;  "I  will 
print  it,  but  only  on  one  condition." 

"  Well,  and  that  condition  is — " 

"  That  you,  major,  be  kind  enough  to  hold  a  pistol  to  my 
breast  and  threaten  to  shoot  me,  in  case  I  refuse.  You  must 


SCHILL  TAKES  THE  FIELD.  423 

do  so  in  the  presence  of  my  compositors,  and  give  me  a  writ- 
ten certificate  that  I  yielded  only  to  violence." 

"  M.  llormuth,  you  are  a  very  prudent  man,  and  it  will 
afford  me  great  pleasure  to  fulfil  your  wishes,"  said  Schill, 
smilingly,  drawing  his  pistol  and  aiming  at  the  printer. 

"  Pray,  major,  do  not  cock  it,  for  the  pistol  might  go  oil," 
said  Hormuth,  anxiously.  "Now  be  kind  enough  to  hold  it 
to  my  breast,  and  shout  in  a  loud  and  menacing  voice  that 
you  will  shoot  me  like  a  dog  if  I  refuse  to  print  this  paper. 
Distribute  also  some  insulting  epithets — call  me  a  coward,  a 
renegade,  any  thing  you  can  think  of,  and  as  loud  and 
threatening  as  you  can." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  do  all  that,"  said  Schill,  laughing,  and 
his  adjutants,  as  well  as  M.  Hormuth  himself,  joined  in  the 
sport. 

"Now,  let  us  go  to  work,"  said  Schill. 

"Will  you  print  this  proclamation,  you  miserable  coward? 
Why,  you  have  not  pluck  enough  to  be  a  German !  I  ask  you, 
for  the  last  time,  will  you  print  the  proclamation?" 

"Sir,  have  mercy  upon  me!"  wailed  M.  Hormuth,  in  a 
terrified  tone.  "I  cannot  print  it.  It  is  impossible,  sir; 
impossible!" 

"  You  villain,  I  will  kill  you  on  the  spot  if  you  dare  resist 
me,"  cried  Schill.  "I— 

"  My  compositors  will  be  here  presently,"  said  M.  Hormuth. 
"Please  go  on  in  the  same  strain." 

"  I  will  shoot  you  like  a  dog  if  you  do  not  obey!" 

"Help!  help!  oh,  major,  have  mercy!" 

The  doors  opened,  and  there  appeared  at  one  door  the  com- 
positors and  pressmen;  at  the  other,  Madame  Hormuth  with 
her  children. 

"  Will  you  print  my  proclamation,  you  infamous  scoun- 
drel?" shouted  Schill.  "Say  no,  and  I  will  put  a  bullet 
through  your  cowardly  heart!" 

"  Sir,  I  cannot;  I— 

"Husband,  I  beseech  you!"  cried  Madame  Hormuth,  rush- 
ing toward  him.  "Husband,  consider  what  you  are  doing; 
think  of  your  children,  think  of  me,  and  comply  with  the 
wishes  of  the  major." 

"  No!  I  will  die  rather  than  print  so  seditious  a  paper!" 

"  Very  well,  then,  you  shall  die,"  said  Schill.  "  You  refuse 
to  print,  and  I  will  assuredly  shoot  you." 

"M.  Hormuth,  you  may  as  well  yield,"  said  the  compos- 


424  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

itors.  "  It  is  prudent  to  submit  to  necessity.  Besides,  we  are 
somewhat  interested,  for  your  death  would  throw  us  out  of 
work." 

"I  will  yield,"  said  M.  Hormuth,  sighing.  "Take  away 
your  pistol,  major.  I  will  print  your  proclamation ;  but  be 
so  good  as  to  certify  that  I  consent  only  on  account  of  your 
threats  and  violence.  My  workmen  will  sign  the  certificate 
as  witnesses,  will  you  not?" 

"  Yes,  certainly,  we  will  cheerfully  witness  what  is  true." 

"Very  well,"  said  M.  Hormuth.  "Now  quick,  boys;  go 
to  work!  Here  is  the  manuscript.  Let  four  compositors 
take  it.  Divide  the  copy  into  four  parts;  the  composition 
must  be  done  in  fifteen  minutes,  and  the  printing  in  two 
hours.  How  many  copies  do  you  want,  major?" 

"Ten  thousand." 

"  Very  well,  ten  thousand  copies  to  be  done  in  two  hours. 
We  must  remember  my  life  is  at  stake ;  for  I  suppose  you  will 
shoot  me,  major,  if  we  should  disappoint  you?" 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  that.  Now  give  me  the  pen  and  ink 
that  I  may  draw  up  that  certificate  for  you." 

The  ten  thousand  printed  copies  arrived  exactly  two  hours 
afterward  at  the  headquarters  of  Major  von  Schill,  and  M. 
Hormuth,  who  refused  to  take  any  payment  for  them,  re- 
ceived in  return  a  certificate  that  he  had  been  forcibly  com- 
pelled to  print  them. 

The  brave  regiment  left  Dessau  on  the  following  day,  still 
in  the  joyful  hope  that  the  German  people  would  rise,  and 
that  a  host  of  warriors  would  respond  to  the  call  for  the  de- 
liverance of  the  fatherland.  But  alas!  this  hope  was  not  to 
be  fulfilled.  The  population  of  the  cities  and  villages  received 
Schill's  hussars  and  their  heroic  chieftain  in  the  most  gratify- 
ing manner.  His  proclamation  was  read  everywhere  with 
unbounded  pleasure,  but  no  one  dared  to  follow  him;  no 
scythes  or  pikes  were  to  be  seen  in  the  array  of  this  little  band 
of  patriots.  There  was  but  one  glad  day  for  Schill ;  that  was 
on  the  12th  of  May,  when  Lieutenant  von  Quistorp,  from 
Berlin,  joined  him  with  a  hundred  and  sixty  men,  who  had 
left  their  colors  and  came  with  him  to  reenforce  "  brave 
Schill,  the  liberator  of  Germany." 

But  Quistorp  brought  at  the  same  time  bad  news.  The 
report  of  a  victory  of  the  Austrians  had  proved  unfounded. 
The  Archduke  Charles  had  obtained  no  advantages;  on  the 
contrary,  after  a  succession  of  desperate  engagements,  he  was 


SCHILL  TAKES  THE  FIELD.  425 

beaten  on  the  23d  of  April  at  Ratisbon,  and  escaped  with  the 
remnant  of  his  army  into  the  Bohmerwald.  The  Emperor 
Napoleon  had  advanced  with  his  victorious  forces  in  the  direct 
road  to  Vienna. 

"  If  Napoleon  takes  Vienna,"  said  Schill  to  himself,  "  then 
we  shall  all  perish!  But  we  will  still  hope  and  trust;  the 
fortune  of  war  may  turn  yet.  The  Emperor  of  Austria  is  still 
in  Vienna,  and  the  citizens  have  sworn  to  be  buried  under  the 
ruins  of  their  city  rather  than  open  its  gates  again  to  the 
enemy.  Let  us  hope,  therefore,  and  fight."  Turning  to 
Quistorp,  he  continued:  "Every  thing  may  yet  turn  out 
well.  My  proclamation  ma}  find  an  echo  in  the  hearts  of  my 
Prussian  comrades,  and  they  may  unite  with  us.  To-day, 
you,  Lieutenant  von  Quistorp,  have  arrived  with  one  hundred 
and  sixty  men;  to-morrow  another  friend  may  join  us  with 
several  thousand.  Before  long  we  shall  have  a  considerable 
army,  and  this  will  inspire  those  still  hesitating,  and  make 
the  timid  bold.  The  larger  our  force,  the  firmer  will  be  the 
confidence  of  the  king,  and  finally  he  will  freely  and  openly 
order  all  the  regiments  to  join  us  and  commence  the  struggle." 

"Do  not  hope  in  the  king,  major,"  said  Lieutenant  von 
Quistorp,  sadly.  "  The  failure  of  Dornberg's  rising,  the  de- 
feat of  the  Archduke  Charles,  and  the  new  victories  of  Napo- 
leon, have  made  him  more  resolute  than  ever;  he  is  afraid  of 
Napoleon's  anger  and  vengeance,  and,  more  indisposed  than 
ever  to  incur  them,  he  has  publicly  and  solemnly  repudiated 
your  bold  movement." 

"What  has  the  king  done?"  exclaimed  Schill,  turning 
pale;  "  what  do  you  know?" 

"  I  now  that  the  king  has  also  issued  a  proclamation,  in 
which  he  says  that  he  cannot  find  words  sufficiently  forcible 
to  express  his  disapproval  of  your  illegal  and  criminal  con- 
duct; he  calls  upon  the  army  not  to  be  seduced  by  your  ex- 
ample, and  orders  you,  and  all  with  you,  to  be  tried  by  a 
court-martial." 

"That  is  impossible!"  cried  Schill,  in  great  excitement; 
"  the  king  cannot  forsake  me  in  so  shameful  a  manner!  You 
have  been  misinformed,  Quistorp;  certain  persons  have  tried 
to  deter  you  from  joining  me  by  false  reports." 

"No, "said  Quistorp,  "you  are  mistaken.  I  was  already 
on  the  march  to  Arneburg,  when,  a  few  miles  from  here,  a 
courier,  under  instructions  from  General  Chassot,  overtook 
me.  In  order  to  warn  me,  the  general  sent  me  the  proclama- 


426  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

tion  of  the  king,  and  ordered  me  to  face  about  immediately 
and  return  to  my  regiment.  He  added  that  this  was  the  last 
order  he  would  issue,  for  he,  as  well  as  General  Lestocq,  gov- 
ernor of  Berlin,  had  been  called,  by  order  of  the  king,  to 
Konigsberg,  where  both  of  them  were  to  be  tried  by  a  military 
commission.  Here  are  the  papers,  major." 

Schill  glanced  over  them,  and,  while  reading,  his  hands 
trembled.  "  This  is  a  terrible  blow,"  he  said,  sighing.  "  The 
king  proscribes  me,  and  brands  me  as  a  traitor  and  deserter. 
It  is  all  in  vain!  Germany  is  asleep,  and  our  voice  will  not 
awaken  her;  Germany  lies  in  the  dust  before  the  French 
tyrant,  and  the  King  of  Prussia  will  punish  as  traitors  those 
who  act  courageously!  Oh,  my  country,  thou  art  lost,  for 
thy  own  princes  betray  thee!" 

He  sank  despairingly  on  a  chair,  and  hid  his  face  with  his 
hands.  In  this  attitude  he  remained,  groaning  piteously,  a 
prey  to  his  anguish.  The  adjutants  entered  the  room,  but 
Schill  did  not  notice  them.  Absorbed  in  his  reflections  and 
forebodings,  his  mind,  as  it  were,  had  passed  from  the  con- 
templation of  the  present,  and  beheld  nothing  but  the  awful 
future. 

The  three  young  officers,  Liitzow,  Quistorp,  and  Barsch, 
well  known  for  their  intrepidity,  stood  sad  and  dejected  be- 
fore their  brave  major. 

Suddenly  rising  from  his  chair,  he  said :  "  I  thank  you, 
Lieutenant  von  Quistorp,  for  having  joined  me  with  your 
faithful  men.  Germany  will  see  at  least  that  there  are  still 
brave  men  who  do  not  forsake  their  country,  and  if  we  sacri- 
fice our  lives  for  her,  she  will  at  least  engrave  our  names  on 
the  tablets  of  her  martyrs.  We  cannot  retrace  our  steps,  my 
friends;  we  must  advance,  though  death  stare  us  in  the  face. 
This  very  night  we  leave  Arneburg,  and  continue  our  march. 
We  may  still  succeed  in  what  Dornberg  and  Charles  have  been 
unable  to  accomplish.  We  shall  appeal  again  to  the  patriot- 
ism of  the  Germans.  Perhaps  their  hearts  will  practically 
respond — they  may  hear  our  voice  and  follow  us.  But  if 
fortune  have  decided  against  us,  if  we  succumb  without 
delivering  our  country,  very  well!  'An  end  with  terror 
is  better  than  terror  without  end!'  Before  us  is  honor, 
and  at  the  worst,  a  glorious  death;  behind  us,  contumely 
and  disgrace.  Therefore,  forward!" 


SCHILL'S  DEATH.  427 

CHAPTER    XLVIII. 

SCHILL'S  DEATH. 

SCHILL  was  sitting,  sad  and  deserted,  at  his  lonely  quarters 
in  Rostock,  where,  after  many  adventures,  he  arrived  on  the 
20th  of  May.  He  had  succeeded  in  nothing;  fortune  had  not 
once  been  favorable  to  him.  He  had  intended  to  turn  toward 
Magdeburg,  in  hope  that  its  garrison  of  Westphalian  troops 
would  joyously  open  the  gates  of  the  fortress,  and  declare 
against  King  Jerome,  who  had  been  forced  upon  them.  But, 
at  a  distance  of  a  German  mile  from  the  city  the  columns  of 
the  enemy  had  met  him,  and  an  engagement  had  taken  place 
at  Dodendorf.  It  was  in  vain  that  Schill  had  sent  a  flag  of 
truce  to  his  German  brethren  to  request  them  to  join  him, 
imploring  them  not  to  betray  the  fatherland  for  the  sake  of  a 
French  king. 

The  Westphalians  shot  the  bearer  of  the  flag  of  truce,  and 
a  murderous  fire  was  their  only  reply.  Now  began  the  des- 
perate struggle  of  brethren  against  brethren — of  Germans 
against  Germans! 

Schill  was  victorious  in  this  battle.  He  mortally  wounded 
the  French  commander  of  the  Westphalians,  Colonel  Vautier; 
his  hussars  fought  like  lions  and  dispersed  the  enemy;  a  hun- 
dred and  sixty  prisoners,  several  stands  of  colors,  and  a  large 
number  of  small-arms,  were  the  trophies  of  this  brilliant 
affair.  But  he  was  unable  to  derive  any  benefit  from  the 
Dodendorf  victory ;  fearing  lest  a  larger  corps  should  leave 
Magdeburg  and  attack  him,  he  retreated,  overwhelmed  with 
grief,  for  he  at  last  understood  that  the  German  soldiers  were 
deaf  to  his  appeals,  and  that  the  Westphalians,  faithful  to 
their  French  king,  refused  to  desert  him. 

Nor  had  Schill's  second  victory,  the  occupation  of  Donritz, 
been  advantageous  to  him.  Moreover,  dissensions  had  arisen 
among  the  officers  themselves;  the  regiment,  so  enthusiastic 
at  first,  commenced  gradually  to  lose  faith  in  his  ability  to 
succeed  in  his  bold  enterprise;  the  officers  insisted  on 
being  consulted  as  to  future  operations.  They  refused 
to  yield  obedience,  and  demanded  that  he  should  listen 
to  their  advice  and  remonstrances.  But  resistance  ren- 
dered him  only  more  determined,  and  in  his  obstinacy  he  fre- 


428  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

quently  rejected  prudent  counsel,  that  he  might  accomplish 
his  own  plans.  His  mind  was  confused  by  disappointment, 
and  at  length  by  despair.  He  was,  in  fact,  unequal  to  the 
dangers  surrounding  him. 

Schill  was  sitting,  sad  and  deserted,  at  his  lonely  quarters 
in  Rostock,  absorbed  in  discouraging  thoughts,  and  sighing 
at  the  frustration  of  his  hopes.  In  his  hand  he  held  the 
memorandum-book  the  queen  had  presented  to  him,  and  read 
again  and  again  the  words  she  had  written:  "To  brave  Major 
vou  Schill."  Suddenly  the  door  behind  him  opened,  and 
Lieutenant  von  Liitzow,  with  his  uniform  covered  with  dust, 
entered  the  room. 

Schill  slowly  turned  his  head.  "  Well,  Liitzow,  have  you 
returned?"  he  asked.  "  Were  you  at  Doberan?  Did  you  see 
the  duke?" 

"  Yes,  I  was  at  Doberan." 

"And  what  news  do  you  bring?  Bad  news,  of  course! 
Did  you  see  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg?" 

"  No,  the  duke  had  given  orders  to  admit  neither  you  nor 
any  of  your  delegates.  He  says  he  will  have  nothing  to  do 
with  insurgents  and  rebels." 

"  Of  course,"  exclaimed  Schill,  laughing  scornfully,  "he  is 
a  German  prince,  and,  therefore,  cannot  adhere  to  the  cause 
of  Germany,  but  must  side  with  France!  Oh,  I  ought  to 
have  known  it  before.  Well,  it  is  all  right.  What  other 
news  do  you  bring,  Liitzow?" 

"  Here,  major,  is  a  paper  issued  by  King  Jerome  of  West- 
phalia. His  majesty  does  you  the  honor  to  call  you  in  this 
proclamation  a  chief  of  robbers,  a  pirate,  and  a  deserter,  and 
commands  the  military  and  civil  authorities  to  hunt  you 
down.  He  also  offers  a  reward  of  ten  thousand  francs  to  him 
who  will  bring  you  dead  or  alive  to  Cassel." 

"Is  that  so?"  exclaimed  Schill,  laughing.  "Well,  M. 
Jerome  attaches  a  tolerably  high  value  to  my  head.  I  am 
sorry  that  I  am  unable  to  return  the  compliment.  I  shall  re- 
ply this  very  day  to  Jerome's  proclamation  by  issuing  one  to 
the  Germans,  and  by  promising  a  reward  of  five  dollars  for  his 
delivery,  living  or  dead. — What  else,  lieutenant?" 

"  The  Emperor  Napoleon  has  also  issued  an  edict  against 
Schill  and  his  men.  He  says  in  this  document :  '  A  certain 
Schill,  a  sort  of  highway  robber,  who  committed  crime  upon 
crime  during  the  last  campaign  in  Prussia,  and  was  rewarded 
with  a  captaincy,  has  deserted  with  his  whole  regiment  from 


SCHILL'S  DEATH.  429 

Berlin,  marched  to  Wittenberg,  and  surrounded  that  place. 
General  Lestocq,  governor  of  Berlin,  has  declared  Schill  a 
deserter,  and  the  King  of  Prussia  has  given  orders  to  arrest 
him  wherever  he  can  be  found,  and  to  put  the  insurgent  on 
trial  before  a  court-martial.' ' 

"Yes,"  murmured  Schill,  musingly,  "the  German  patriot 
has  become  an  insurgent,  and  is  to  be  punished  for  what  he  at- 
tempted in  the  salvation  of  his  country.  It  was  quite  un- 
necessary for  the  emperor  to  abuse  and  revile  him  who  boldly 
opposed  his  tyranny ;  the  King  of  Prussia  and  the  governor  of 
Berlin  had  already  done  so.  And  what  else  does  Napoleon  say?" 

"  He  orders  a  corps  of  observation  to  be  formed  on  the  Elbe, 
to  be  commanded  by  the  marshal,  Duke  of  Valmy,  and  to  be 
sixty  thousand  strong." 

"Sixty  thousand  men!"  exclaimed  Schill.  "Ah!  it  seems 
M.  Napoleon  has  a  pretty  good  opinion  of  'that  deserter 
Schill,'  inasmuch  as  he  considers  him  dangerous  enough  to 
oppose  to  him  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  men.  Thank  you, 
M.  Bonaparte,  thank  you  for  this  acknowledgment.  It  is  a 
delightful  balm  to  the  tortured  heart  of  the  poor  Prussian  de- 
serter;  it  restores  his  courage.  Let  us  advance  undauntedly — 
we  may  conquer  yet.  The  Germans  may  awake  and  rally 
round  the  standard  of  liberty!" 

"Alas,  Schill,  I  am  afraid  your  hopes  are  in  vain,"  said 
Liitzow,  sadly.  "  I  am  not  yet  done  with  my  bad  news." 

"Not  yet?"  asked  Schill,  mournfully.     "  Proceed!" 

"  Vienna  has  fallen!" 

"Vienna  fallen!"  cried  Schill,  in  dismay.  "Is  that  really 
true?" 

"It  is.  The  Emperor  Francis  and  his  family  have  fled  to 
Hungary,  and  the  Emperor  of  the  French  has  again  made  his 
triumphant  entry." 

"And  the  Viennese  did  not  even  try  to  defend  their  city?" 

"  They  did  try,  but  soon  laid  down  their  arms  and  sub- 
mitted quietly  to  the  conqueror.  Napoleon  has  established 
his  headquarters  at  Schoubrunn,  and  issued  a  proclamation  to 
the  Austrians.  He  calls  upon  them  to  be  faithful  and  obedi- 
ent to  him,  and  disbands  the  militia  of  Vienna.  A  general 
amnesty  is  granted  to  those  who  surrender  their  arms." 

"A  general  amnesty,"  exclaimed  Schill,  "for  the  crime  they 
committed  in  complying  with  the  request  of  their  sovereign 
to  take  up  arms  and  defend  their  country!     And  what  is  to 
be  doue  with  those  who  do  not  surrender?" 
£— MUHLBACH  VOL.  10 


430  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  The  houses  of  both  officers  and  privates  of  the  militia  who 
do  not  return  home  within  a  specified  time,  are  to  be  burned 
down,  their  property  confiscated,  and  themselves  tried  and 
punished  as  rebels." 

"Oh,"  exclaimed  Schill,  raising  his  hands,  "is  there  still 
justice  in  heaven,  or  is  it  also  asleep !  Is  there  no  ear  for  our 
wails,  no  compassion  for  our  disgrace?  What  is  natural, 
grows  unnatural;  honor  becomes  dishonor;  patriotism,  rebel- 
lion— and  Heaven  seems  to  permit  it!" 

"Yes,"  said  Liitzow,  with  a  melancholy  smile.  "What 
Ovid  said  of  Cato  now  becomes  true  of  you:  'The  victorious 
cause  pleases  the  gods,  but  the  vanquished  one  pleases  you !' " 

"Yes,"  murmured  Schill,  "  the  vanquished  cause  pleased 
Cato !  and  it  shall  also  please  Schill  as  long  as  he  breathes. 
It  shall  please  him  though  his  king  call  him  a  deserter,  and 
a  court-martial  pass  sentence  of  death  upon  him.  'The  peo- 
ple of  Nuremberg  hang  none  but  those  they  have  in  custody,' 
is  a  proverb  often  repeated,  and  I  think  the  people  of  Konigs- 
berg  will  not  shoot  a  man  they  cannot  catch !  I  would  rather 
be  trampled  to  death  by  the  horses  of  the  enemy,  than  pierced 
by  the  bullets  of  my  German  brethren.  The  matter  is  settled, 
Liitzow;  let  us  continue  the  struggle." 

"Continue  the  struggle?"  asked  Liitzow.  "I  beseech  you, 
take  my  advice  and  do  not  follow  the  dictates  of  courage 
alone ;  listen  also  to  those  of  prudence.  It  will  be  utterly  use- 
less, Schill ;  we  should  husband  our  strength  for  better  times. 
We  are  threatened  either  by  military  force,  or  the  rigor  of 
the  law.  Prussia  has  drawn  up  a  corps  on  her  frontier  to  re- 
pulse us,  if  need  be,  should  we  come  armed;  and,  if  unarmed, 
she  would  have  us  tried  by  a  court-martial.  Napoleon's  corps 
of  observation  is  stationed  on  the  boundaries  of  Saxony  and 
Westphalia,  and  even  the  King  of  Denmark  has  ordered  Gen- 
eral von  Ewalcl  to  march  against  us." 

"  The  stag  has  been  surrounded,  but  not  yet  captured,"  ex- 
claimed Schill.  "  There  is  still  a  place  where  he  may  escape. 
The  King  of  Sweden  has  not  yet  a  corps  in  the  field  against 
us,  and  Stralsund  is  occupied  only  by  a  garrison  of  scarcely 
three  hundred  men,  commanded  by  General  Candras.  Let 
us  march  thither  and  surprise  the  fortress.  When  Stralsund 
is  ours,  we  are  on  the  sea-shore,  and  in  communication  with 
the  British ;  we  have  ships  in  the  harbor,  on  which,  if  every 
thing  else  should  fail,  we  could  find  an  asylum,  and  hasten 
to  England." 


SCHILL'S  DEATH.  431 

"But  suppose  we  should  not  take  Stralsund?"  asked  Liit- 
zow.  "  How  could  we  escape?  I  beseech  you,  listen  to 
reason,  consider  our  hopeless  situation;  save  yourself — save 
the  poor  soldiers  who  have  reposed  confidence  and  hope  in 
you!  Let  us  embark  for  England.  There  are  well-nigh 
thirty  ships  in  the  harbor  of  Warnemiinde;  if  they  refuse  to 
take  us  on  board,  we  can  compel  them." 

"No,"  exclaimed  Schill,  vehemently.  "We  shall  do  just 
as  I  said — march  to  Stralsund  and  take  the  fortress.  But 
Lieutenant  Biirsch  is  to  seize  twenty  of  the  ships  at  Warne- 
munde and  embark  on  them  our  baggage,  the  sick,  and  the 
military  chest,  and  convey  them  to  the  island  of  Riigen.  We 
start  to-morrow  and  take  Stralsund.  That  is  my  plan,  and  it 
must  be  accomplished!" 

And  Schill's  plan  was  accomplished.  He  marched  his  hus- 
sars to  Stralsund,  and  for  a  moment  fortune  smiled  on  him. 
The  French  commander,  General  Candras,  preferred  to  meet 
the  enemy  in  the  open  field  instead  of  awaiting  him  behind 
the  half-decayed  fortifications.  He  marched  against  Schill 
with  the  whole  garrison  and  a  battery  of  light  artillery ;  but 
the  Prussian  hussars,  with  a  shout  attacked  the  enemy,  and 
dispersed  them,  took  six  hundred  prisoners,  and  made  their 
triumphant  entry  into  Stralsund. 

"And  here  let  us  conquer  or  die,"  said  Schill  to  his  officers, 
who  were  standing  around  him.  "Friends,  brethren!  the 
day  of  success  is  at  hand,  and  Stralsund  is  the  first  taken. 
Let  us  remain  here;  throw  up  intrenchments  against  the 
enemy,  and  wait  for  the  succor  which  England  has  so  often 
promised." 

"  Let  us  not  wait  for  this  succor,"  said  one  of  the  officers; 
"let  us  meet  it." 

"Every  hour  of  delay  increases  the  danger,"  exclaimed 
another.  "  If  we  do  not  now  embrace  the  opportunity — if  we 
do  not  start  without  delay,  and  meet  the  English  squadron  in 
the  open  sea,  or  hasten  to  the  Swedish  shore,  we  must  inevit- 
ably perish." 

"  It  would  be  foolhardiness  to  remain  here  for  the  enemy's 
superior  force  to  attack  us,"  said  a  third.  "To  struggle 
against  such  odds  is  folly,  and  prudent  men  submit  to  the 
decrees  of  fortune,  instead  of  resisting  them  in  a  spirit  of 
childish  petulance." 

"  Let  us  husband  our  resources  for  a  future  day,"  said  a 
fourth.  "  It  will  come  when  Germany,  which  is  repudiating 


432  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

us  now,  will  stand  in  need  of  onr  assistance,  and  call  us  to  hei 
side.  Let  us  preserve  ourselves  for  more  favorable  prospects, 
and  a  greater  probability  of  success." 

Schill  looked  angrily  on  his  officers.  "  Is  there  no  one  who 
will  raise  his  voice  against  these  opinions?"  he  asked.  "  Is 
there  no  one  who  will  reply  to  the  timid  and  desponding,  in 
the  name  of  honor,  courage,  and  patriotism?" 

All  were  silent;  a  murmur  of  indignation  was  the  only 
reply.  "Well,  then,"  exclaimed  Schill,  ardently,  "I  will 
myself  speak  against  you  all ;  I  will  tell  you  that  it  is  cowardly 
to  flee  from  danger,  and  to  think  of  defeat  instead  of  victory ; 
that  it  is  perfidious  to  desert  our  country  when  in  danger,  to 
save  one's  own  miserable  life.  Accursed  be  he  who  thinks  of 
flight  and  of  forsaking  the  great  cause  which  we  are  serving ! 
We  must  hold  Stralsund  to  the  last  man.  We  must  make  it 
a  German  Saragossa,  and  lie  dead  beneath  the  ruins  of  the 
city  rather  than  surrender.  Let  us  repair  the  fortifications, 
throw  up  new  earthworks,  and  await  the  enemy  behind  the 
intrenchments.  This  is  my  resolution ;  I  will  not  suffer  con- 
tradiction, but  treat  as  rebels  and  mutineers  those  who  dare 
to  act  contrary  to  my  orders !  The  soldiers  obey  me,  and  I 
am  their  commander.  But  such  of  the  officers  as  do  not  wish 
to  participate  longer  in  the  struggle;  who,  instead  of  remain- 
ing true  to  their  duty,  prefer  to  save  their  lives  by  flight,  are 
at  liberty  to  do  so.  I  will  not  prevent  them  from  making 
their  escape;  they  may  embark  on  one  of  the  ships  in  the  har- 
bor, and  flee  whither  they  desire.  Let  them  remember,  how- 
ever, that  they  will  leave  their  dishonor  here,  and  will  not 
participate  in  the  glory  which  posterity  may  grant  as  the  only 
conquerors'  crown  to  poor  Schill  and  his  faithful  men.  Let 
such  as  desire  to  flee  step  forth  and  receive  their  discharge. " 
A  long  pause  ensued.  No  one  advanced. 

"  We  agreed  to  serve  under  the  leadership  of  Major  von 
Schill,"  at  last  said  the  oldest  officer,  in  a  grave,  solemn  voice; 
"  we  have  sworn  to  fight  under  him  against  the  enemies  of  our 
country,  to  remain  with  him  to  the  last,  and  to  obey  his 
orders.  We  shall  fulfil  our  oath,  and  not  faithlessly  desert 
the  banner  which  we  have  hitherto  followed.  Let  Major  von 
Schill  consider,  however,  that  he  is  responsible  for  the  lives  of 
all  those  who  have  united  their  destiny  with  his  own,  and  that 
his  conscience,  God,  and  posterity,  will  judge liim,  if  instead 
of  preserving  them  he  should  lead  them  to  an  inglorious  death 
or  captivity.  If  Major  von  Schill  is  unwilling  to  listen  to 


SCHILL'S  DEATH  433 

prudence — if  ho  refuses  to  embark  and  escape  with  us,  we  will 
all  remain,  and,  with  him,  await  our  fate.  Speak,  then, 
major,  will  you  go  with  us  or  remain?" 

"I  will  remain,"  exclaimed  Schill,  energetically.  "I  will 
await  the  enemy;  I  will  conquer  or  die  on  German  soil.  Oh, 
friends,  comrades,  do  not  speak  to  me  of  flight  or  submission; 
Schill  does  not  flee,  Schill  does  not  submit!  I  have  tried  to 
arouse  my  country;  I  have  stretched  out  my  hand  toward  my 
countrymen,  and  said  to  them,  'I  will  assist  you  in  shaking 
the  sleep  from  your  half -closed  eyes.  Rise !  and  I  will  lead 
you  in  the  path  of  liberty  and  honor.  My  arm  is  strong,  and 
my  sword  is  sharp;  unite  with  me,  and  let  us  expel  the 
tyrant!'  But  Germany  did  not  listen  to  my  appeal;  she  is 
still  sleeping  too  soundly,  and  God  did  not  decree  that  I  should 
accomplish  my  task.  Perhaps  Providence  may  intend  that 
you  aud  I  shall  strengthen  the  cause  of  liberty  by  shedding 
our  blood — our  death  will  awaken  the  sleepers,  that  they  may 
avenge  us.  The  Germans  entertain  great  admiration  for  the 
dead.  It  is  only  toward  the  living  that  they  are  cold  and  re- 
served. Brethren,  let  us  die  for  liberty  if  we  cannot  live  for 
it.  Let  us  remain  united  in  life  and  death!" 

"Yes,  united  in  life  and  death!"  exclaimed  all  the  officers, 
and  they  thronged  around  Schill  to  shake  hands  with  him, 
and  to  assure  him  of  their  fidelity. 

Four  days  of  repose  and  peace  followed. — Schill  profited  by 
them  to  repair  the  decayed  intreuchments  and  fortifications, 
and  made  all  necessary  preparations  for  an  obstinate  defence 
against  the  approaching  enemy. 

On  the  31st  of  May,  early  in  the  morning,  while  the  major 
was  reviewing  his  troops  in  the  market-place,  wild  shouts 
were  heard  in  the  streets.  They  drew  nearer  and  nearer. 
Soldiers  were  rushing  toward  Schill,  and  behind  them,  at 
some  distance,  others  in  red  uniforms  became  visible. 

A  flash  of  joy  kindled  the  patriot's  face.  "  The  English," 
he  exclaimed,  in  a  loud  voice,  "see  their  red  coats!  The 
English  have  landed,  and  are  coming  to  our  assistance!" 

"The  Englisb  are  coming!"  echoed  the  exultant  soldiers. 

"No,  no,"  gasped  one  of  the  guards,  who  had  just  reached 
the  market-place,  "the  Dutch  are  coming — it  i£  the  enemy! 
They  surprised  us  at  the  Knieper  gate,  dispersed  our  infantry, 
and  penetrated  into  the  city.  See!  their  assaulting  columns 
are  already  advancing!  Let  every  one  escape  as  he  can!" 

"  It  is  the  enemy!"  exclaimed  Schill,  vaulting  ou  his  horse. 


NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Come,  brethren,  let  ns  meet  them.  The  cavalry  will  remain 
here  as  our  reserve.  The  other  troops  will  follow  me  to  the 
Triebseer  gate!"  And  he  galloped  into  the  narrow  street 
leading  to  the  gate,  followed  by  his  men.  He  was  a  picture 
of  heroism  as  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his  band,  with  his  hair 
streaming  in  the  wind,  and  his  countenance  beaming  with 
courage.  Turning  with  a  smile  to  Lieutenant  Alvensleben, 
who  was  riding  at  his  side,  " Oh,"  he  said,  "it  seems  to  me  as 
though  a  heavy  load  had  been  removed  from  my  breast,  and  I 
could  breathe  freely  again.  The  decisive  struggle  is  at  hand, 
and  burdensome  life  Avill  be  resigned  with  joy.  I  shall  die, 
my  friend,  die.  Hurrah!  forward!  liberty  is  beckoning  to 
me,  glorious  liberty!" 

He  spurred  his  horse  and  galloped  more  rapidly,  Alvensle- 
ben remaining  at  his  side. 

"Friend,"  exclaimed  Schill,  further  on,  "when  I  am  no 
more,  defend  me  against  my  enemies,  and  greet  my  friends ! 
Take  my  last  oath  of  fealty  to  the  queen,  and  my  last  love- 
greeting  to  Germany,  when  she  is  free.  Hurrah !  there  comes 
the  enemy!  Let  us  sing  an  inspiring  song!"  And  he  sang 
in  a  loud  voice : 

"  Tod  du  siisser,  f  iir  das  Vaterland  ! 
Siisser  als  der  Brautgruss.  als  das  Lallen 
Auf  dem  Mutterschooss  des  ersten  Kindes, 
Sei  mir  willkommen  ! " 

"  Willkommen!  "  he  cried  again,  and  galloped  more  rapidly 
past  the  Dutch  soldiers,  who  were  just  emerging  from  a  side- 
street  and  cut  him  off  from  Alvensleben  and  his  other  follow- 
ers. The  enemy,  commanded  by  the  Dutch  General  Carteret, 
was  also  approaching  from  the  opposite  street.  The  patriot 
galloped  into  the  midst  of  the  staff — his  sabre  flashed,  and  the 
general  fell  from  his  horse  as  if  struck  by  lightning.  Schill 
turned  when  he  was  unable  to  penetrate  through  this  body  of 
men  obstructing  the  street.  But  another  battalion  had 
already  formed  behind  him  and  cut  him  hopelessly  off  from 
assistance.  His  own  men  tried  to  reach  him.  Shouts,  oaths, 
cries  of  defiance  and  fury,  with  the  groans  of  the  dying,  rent 
the  air. 

Schill  saw  that  he  was  lost,  that  he  was  no  longer  able  to 
save  himself,  his  faithful  men,  or  his  fatherland !  There  was 
no  escape  for  him.  Death  was  howling  around  him  on  all 
sides,  panting  for  its  prey.  Suddenly  the  column  of  the 
enemy  opened ;  he  saw  the  gap,  and  spurred  his  horse  with  a 
desperate  effort,  making  him  leap  into  the  midst  of  the 


THE  PARADE  AT  SCHONBRUNN.        435 

enemy.  The  Dutch  soldiers  fell  back  in  dismay,  and  Schill 
galloped  by  them  into  Filhr  Street.  Forward,  as  on  the  wings  of 
a  tempest,  he  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  his  men.  A  bullet 
hissed  past  him — another  shot  was  fired.  He  wavered  in  the 
saddle;  the  bullet  had  struck  him!  A  detachment  of  Dutch 
soldiers  were  just  coming  up  the  street.  The  man  heading 
them  saw  the  pale  Prussian  officer,  who  was  scarcely  able  to 
retain  his  seat. 

"It  is  Schill!  it  is  Schill!"  he  cried  out,  rushing  forward. 

"Hurrah,  it  is  Schill!"  shouted  the  others,  aiming  their 
muskets  at  him.  Three  shots  were  fired.  The  brave  Prussian 
still  kept  the  saddle,  but  his  hand  dropped  the  bridle,  and 
the  horse  stood  still.  The  Dutch  chasseurs  surrounded  and 
cut  him.  He  lay  helpless  on  the  ground — that  herculean 
man.  He  was  still  alive;  his  eyes,  that  had  so  beamed  with 
courage,  cast  their  last  glance  toward  heaven,  and  his  lips, 
that  smiled  so  sweetly,  murmured,  "Tod  du  silsser  fiir  das 
Vaterland!  "  A  powerful  sabre-stroke  at  last  ended  his  life. 
His  enemies  despoiled  his  body,  tearing  off  his  decorations, 
and  robbing  him  of  a  small  crown  of  pearls  and  the  memoran- 
dum-book, both  gifts  of  the  queen  whom  he  loved  so  well,  and 
for  whom  he  fought  so  bravely.  They  seized  the  corpse  and 
dragged  it  along  the  street  in  order  to  present  it  to  their 
general.  His  hands  were  besmeared  with  mire;  his  uniform 
torn  by  the  brutal  grasp  of  the  conquerors,  and  his  gory  head 
trailed  along  the  pavement.  He  was  at  last  deposited  in  the 
vestibule  of  the  city  hall,  where  the  meat-merchants  of  Stral- 
sund  trade  on  market  days. 

A  butcher's  bench  was  the  catafalque  of  unfortunate  Ferdi- 
nand von  Schill,  the  martyr  of  German  liberty!  There  he 
lay,  a  horrible  spectacle,  with  broken  limbs,  a  face  deformed 
by  bruises  and  sabre-gashes,  and  his  eyes  glaring  to  heaven  as 
if  in  accusation  of  the  ignominy  of  his  death  and  the  brutality 
of  his  enemies. 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 

THE   PARADE   AT   SCHOXBRUXN. 

NAPOLEON'S  great  victory  at  Wagram  had  put  an  end  to 
the  war  with  Austria,  and  destroyed  only  too  speedily  the 
hopes  which  the  battle  of  Aspern  or  Essliiigen  had  awakened 
in  the  hearts  of  the  Germans. 


436  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  Archduke  Charles  had  gained  at  Aspern  half  a  vic- 
tory ;  and  the  fact  that  the  Austrians  had  not  been  beaten — 
that  Napoleon  had  been  compelled  to  fall  back  with  his  army 
and  to  take  refuge  on  the  island  of  Lobau,  was  regarded  as  a 
victory,  which  was  announced  in  the  most  boastful  manner. 
But  if  it  was  a  victory,  the  Austrians  did  not  know  how  to 
profit  by  it.  Instead  of  uniting  their  forces  and  attacking 
Lobau,  where  the  French  army  was  encamped,  huddled  to- 
gether, and  exhausted  by  the  long  and  murderous  struggle — 
where  the  French  grenadiers  were  weeping  over  the  death  of 
their  brave  leader,  Marshal  Lannes,  Duke  of  Montebello — 
where  the  wounded  and  defeated  were  cursing  for  the  first 
time  the  emperor's  insatiable  thirst  for  conquest — instead  of 
surrounding  the  French  army,  or  opening  a  cannonade  upon 
them,  the  Archduke  Charles  fell  farther  back  from  the  right 
bank  of  the  Danube,  and  allowed  his  exhausted  troops  to  rest 
and  recover  from  the  fatigue  of  the  terrible  battle  that  had 
lasted  two  days.  While  the  Austrians  were  dressing  their 
wounds,  the  French  profited  by  the  delay,  and  built  new 
bridges,  procured  barges,  left  the  island  that  might  have  been 
a  graveyard  for  them,  and  reorganized  their  shattered  forces. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  Napoleon  took  revenge  at  Wagram  for 
the  two  days  of  Aspern,  and  wrested  again  from  the  Archduke 
Charles  the  laurels  won  at  the  latter  place.  Germany  was  in 
ecstasies  after  the  battle  of  Aspern,  but  she  bowed  her  head 
mournfully  after  that  of  Wagram. 

Napoleon  was  again  the  master  of  Germany ;  and  Austria, 
like  the  rest  of  the  country,  had  to  bow  humbly  to  his  im- 
perious will.  The  "first  soldier  of  Aspern,"  brave  Prince 
John  of  Lichtenstein,  was  sent  to  Napoleon's  headquarters  at 
Znaim  to  request  an  armistice  and  the  opening  of  peace  ne- 
gotiations. Napoleon,  whose  armies  were  exhausted,  whose 
attention,  besides,  was  absorbed  by  the  war  in  Spain,  and  who 
had  found  out  at  his  late  battles  what  resistance  was  now  be- 
ginning to  be  made  in  Germany,  granted  the  request,  con- 
sented to  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  and  that  the  envoys  of 
France  and  Austria  should  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

These  negotiations  had  already  been  carried  on  for  months, 
and  no  conclusion  had  yet  been  arrived  at.  Vienna  was  still 
a  French  city,  and  the  Viennese  had  to  submit  to  the  rule 
of  a  new  governor,  and  to  the  galling  yoke  imposed  on  them 
by  a  foreign  police,  who  kept  a  close  surveillance  over  every 
action — nay,  every  expression  and  look.  They  had  to  bow  to 


THE  PARADE  AT  SCH^NBRUNN.  437 

stern  necessity,  and  to  celebrate  Napoleon's  birthday,  the  lath 
of  August,  by  festivities  and  an  illumination,  as  though  it 
were  the  birthday  of  their  own  sovereign. 

Napoleon  was  still  residing  at  Schonbrunn,  at  the  palace 
which  Maria  Theresa  had  built,  and  where  she  had  signed  the 
marriage-contract  of  her  daughter  Marie  Antoinette  with  the 
Dauphin  of  France.  Marie  Antoinette  had  been  guillotined, 
and  the  heir  of  the  Revolution  and  of  the  French  crown  was 
dwelling  at  her  mother's  palace. 

Every  morning  the  French  Emperor  reviewed  his  guards  in 
the  large  palace-yard,  and  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Vienna  hastened  regularly  to  Schonbrunn  in  order  to  see  him 
and  witness  the  parade.  These  morning  reviews  had  become 
a  favorite  public  amusement,  and,  when  listening  to  the 
music  of  the  French  bands,  and  beholding  the  emperor  (in  his 
gray  coat,  with  his  broad  brow  covered  with  the  three- 
cornered  hat)  gallop  down  the  ranks  of  his  troops,  followed 
by  the  brilliant  staff  of  his  marshals  and  generals,  amid  shouts 
of  "  Vive  VEmpereur,"  the  kind-hearted  citizen  sometimes 
forgot  that  it  was  their  enemy  who  was  displaying  his  power, 
and  rejoicing  in  his  ambition;  instead  of  cursing,  they  ad- 
mired him  and  his  veterans,  whose  scars  were  the  signs  of  many 
a  victory. 

Napoleon  was  but  too  well  aware  of  the  influence  which 
these  parades  were  exerting  on  the  minds  of  the  people ;  he 
knew  the  fascination  which  his  person  produced  not  only  on 
his  soldiers,  but  the' public  generally,  and  he  wished  to  profit 
by  it,  in  order  to  conquer  the  civilians  after  conquering  their 
army.  Every  one,  therefore,  had  free  access,  and  the  subtle 
invader  had  always  a  kind  glance  and  an  affable  smile  with 
which  to  win  their  hearts. 

On  the  13th  of  October,  as  usual,  a  parade  was  to  be  held; 
and  the  road  leading  to  Vienna  was  early  covered  with  car- 
riages, horsemen,  and  pedestrians,  hastening  to  Schonbrunn. 
Among  those  hurrying  along  the  high-road  was  a  man  of  whom 
no  one  took  any  notice,  with  whom  no  one  was  conversing, 
and  who,  while  all  around  were  laughing,  and  speaking  of  the 
parade,  was  pursuing  his  way  in  grave  silence.  His  youthful 
countenance  was  sad  and  pale;  long,  light  hair  was  waving 
round  his  oval  face.  His  eyes  seemed  on  fire,  and  his  thin, 
half-parted  lips  were  quivering  as  though  he  wero  a  prey  to 
intense  emotion.  He  was  wrapped  in  a  large  black  cloak 
reaching  nearly  to  his  feet;  a  small  black  velvet  cap  covered 


438  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

his  head.  This  strange  figure  looked  like  an  apparition  in 
the  midst  of  the  chatting  crowd,  the  elegant  carriages,  and 
dashing  horsemen.  All  were  too  busily  engaged  with  them- 
selves, with  the  review,  which  was  to  be  particularly  brilliant, 
and  with  the  emperor,  who  was  not  only  to  be  present,  but  to 
command  the  troops. 

A  few  persons  referred  also  to  the  hopes  entertained  of  a 
speedy  conclusion  of  peace,  and  regretted  that  they  had  not 
yet  been  fulfilled,  while  others  conversed  stealthily  about  the 
victories  of  the  Tyrolese,  and  of  noble  and  brave  Andrew 
Hofer,  who,  with  his  faithful  mountaineers,  still  dared  to  re- 
sist the  French  conqueror.  The  young  man  listened  gravely 
and  silently  to  all  this  conversation. 

It  was  yet  early  when  he  reached  the  palace ;  for  the  Vien- 
nese were  anxious  to  get  good  places,  and  to  be  as  near  the 
emperor  as  possible,  and  therefore  they  had  set  out  several 
hours  before  the  parade  was  to  commence. 

The  young  man  glanced  with  an  evident  air  of  disappoint- 
ment over  the  large,  unoccupied  space  which  lay  before  him, 
and  on  which  as  yet  not  a  man  of  the  imperial  guard  was  to 
be  seen.  "  Will  there  be  no  parade  to-day?"  he  asked  a  cor- 
pulent citizen  of  Vienna,  who  was  standing  at  his  side. 

"  Certainly,  sir,  there  will  be  one,"  said  the  citizen,  with  a 
self-important  air.  "  But  it  is  very  early  yet,  and  an  hour 
may  elapse  before  the  emperor  makes  his  appearance." 

"An  hour  yet!"  exclaimed  the  young  stranger,  indignantly. 
"  I  was  told  I  had  to  be  here  early  in  order  to  witness  the 
spectacle." 

"  You  were  correctly  informed,  sir.  For  if  you  want  to 
see  any  thing,  it  is  necessary  to  be  here  at  this  hour  to  secure 
a  good  place.  Besides,  the  time  you  will  have  to  wait  will 
not  be  very  tedious.  The  various  regiments  that  are  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  parade  will  soon  make  their  appearance ;  then, 
come  the  imperial  guards,  who  form  in  line,  and,  finally,  the 
emperor  with  bis  marshals.  Oh,  you  ought  to  hear  the  shouts, 
the  music  of  the  band,  and  the  roll  of  the  drums  when  he  ap- 
pears! You  will  certainly  hear  the  noise,  provided  it  does 
not  make  you  deaf." 

"I  think  it  will  not,"  said  the  young  man,  with  a  mourn- 
ful smile.  "  But  tell  me,  shall  we  be  able  to  see  the  emperor 
very  near?  From  which  door  will  he  make  his  appearance, 
and  where  does  he  generally  take  his  position?" 

"  He  comes  generally  from  the  large  portal  yonder ;   it  is 


THE  PARADE  AT  SCHONBRUNN.        439 

there  that  he  mounts  on  horseback ;  he  then  rides  down  the 
front  of  the  soldiers,  and  halts  a  short  time  just  there,  where 
we  are  standing.  Those  who  desire  to  say  any  thing  to  him, 
or  to  deliver  petitions,  had  better  do  so  on  this  very  spot. 
But  come,  let  us  go  a  little  farther  into  the  palace-yard,  that 
we  may  see  better." 

"  Very  well,  lead  the  way.  I  will  follow,"  said  the  young 
man. 

"Come,  then,  sir."  And  the  kind-hearted  citizen  of 
Vienna  elbowed  himself  through  the  crowd. 

The  young  conspirator  followed  him  a  few  steps,  and  then 
halted.  Instead  of  advancing  farther  he  slipped  back  to  his 
former  place. 

"No,"  he  muttered  to  himself,  "I  must  not  stand  close 
to,  or  converse  with  any  one.  I  must  be  alone  and  an  utter 
stranger,  so  as  to  cast  suspicion  on  no  one  else,  and  not  to  en- 
danger the  lives  of  innocent  persons.  The  glory  of  the  deed 
will  belong  to  me  alone,  if  it  should  succeed;  let  the  penalty 
be  inflicted  on  me  alone,  if  it  should  fail."  He  withdrew 
farther  from  the  citizen  who  had  spoken  to  him  so  courteously, 
and  when  he  had  entirely  lost  sight  of  him,  he  approached 
the  palace  cautiously  and  from  the  opposite  side.  "  The  blow 
must  be  struck  at  once,"  he  muttered.  "Every  delay  will 
involve  me  in  fresh  dangers,  and  my  fate  might  be  the  same 
as  that  of  the  two  brethren  who  drew  the  black  balls  last  year. 
I  drew  the  lot  this  time,  and  must  accomplish  what  they  were 
unable  to  perform." 

The  youthful  stranger  raised  his  eyes  toward  heaven,  and  a 
solemn  earnestness  beamed  from  his  countenance.  "  Yes,  I 
swear  it  by  the  memory  of  Anna,  and  the  tears  she  will  soon 
shed  for  me,  that  I  will  not,  like  those  two  brethren,  shrink 
from  striking  the  blow.  I  drew  the  lot,  and  the  president 
must  repair  the  fault  committed  by  them.  I  must  destroy 
the  tyrant!  lleaven,  hear  my  oath  and  let  my  plan  succeed !" 
He  elbowed  himself  quickly  through  the  crowd,  and  ap- 
proached closer  to  the  entrance  of  the  palace.  Once,  in  the 
midst  of  the  surging  mass,  his  cloak  was  accidentally  dis- 
placed, and  something  like  a  dagger-blade  flashed  from  under 
it;  but  hastily  arranging  his  cloak  he  glanced  around  with  an 
air  of  uneasiness.  No  one  paid  any  attention  to  him,  for  all  eyes 
were  fixed  on  the  imperial  guard  marching  into  line  with  a 
proud  step,  conscious  that  they  were  the  favorites  of  the 
greatest  general  of  the  age,  and  the  terror  of  the  battle-field. 


440  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

CHAPTEE    L. 

NAPOLEON  AT  SCHONBBUNN. 

WHILE  the  regiments  were  forming  in  the  palace-yard 
below,  and  the  spectators  were  thronging  about  them,  Napo- 
leon was  still  in  his  cabinet.  But  he  was  not  alone.  Some 
of  his  adjutants  and  marshals  were  with  him,  and  stood,  like 
the  emperor,  in  front  of  a  table  covered  with  strange  articles. 
There  lay  a  leg  encased  in  a  magnificent  boot,  a  hand  covered 
with  a  white  glove,  an  arm  clad  in  the  sleeve  of  a  uniform, 
by  the  side  of  which  was  a  foot  cut  off  close  above  the  ankle, 
and  encased  in  a  neat  shoe. 

Napoleon  contemplated  these  things  with  grave  glances, 
and  then  turned  his  eyes  toward  a  small  man  who  was  stand> 
ing  in  humble  attire  and  attitude,  and  who  was  no  other  than 
the  celebrated  mechanician  and  inventor  of  the  metronome, 
Leonard  Malzl.  "You  are  a  genius  indeed!"  said  the  em- 
peror, with  an  air  of  genuine  admiration;  "people  did  not 
say  too  much  in  calling  you  the  most  skilful  member  of  your 
profession.  You  really  suppose  that  it  is  possible  to  walk 
with  such  a  leg?"  And  the  emperor  pointed  at  that  lying  on 
the  table. 

"  Sire,  I  do  not  only  suppose  it,  I  know  it,"  said  M.  Malzl, 
gravely ;  "  a  man  may  use  these  limbs  and  feet  as  easily  and 
naturally  as  though  he  were  born  with  them.  Please  be  so 
kind,  your  majesty,  as  to  look  at  this."  M.  Malzl  took  the 
article  and  placed  it  in  front  of  a  chair.  "  Your  majesty  sees 
that  it  is  a  foot  with  about  half  a  leg.  It  is  fastened  with 
these  two  suspenders,  that  are  thrown  over  the  shoulders,  and 
a  man  may  then  walk  with  it." 

"  Yes,  walk,  but  he  would  not  be  able  to  sit  down." 

"Yes,  he  would,  sire;  you  touch  this  spring,  and — your 
majesty  sees,  the  knee  bends  and  the  upper  part  drops  on  the 
chair." 

"So  it  does!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  joyously,  but  suddenly 
his  brow  became  dark  and  his  eyes  gloomy.  "Alas,"  he  said, 
thoughtfully,  "  were  Lannes  still  alive,  I  might  have  at  least 
offered  him  a  substitute  for  the  limbs  he  lost."  He  stared  at 
the  ingenious  work,  and  stroking  his  face  quickly  said,  "  You 
assert,  also,  sir,  that  a  man  may  use  that  hand,  and  hold  any 


NAPOLEON  AT  SCHONBRUNN.  441 

thing  with  it?"  asked  Napoleon,  lifting  up  the  neatly-gloved 
hand. 

"Sire,  it  is  just  as  good  as  one  new-grown.  The  human 
will  controls  every  limb  and  moves  these  artificial  fingers  just 
as  well  as  the  natural  ones.  Will  your  majesty  be  so  kind  as 
to  order  me  to  take  something  from  the  table  with  this  hand 
which  you  see  now  stretched  out?" 

The  emperor  drew  a  ring,  adorned  with  a  large  diamond, 
from  his  finger,  and  laid  it  on  the  table.  "  Let  the  machine 
pick  up  this  ring,"  he  said. 

Miilzl  took  the  hand,  and,  touching  the  spring  fixed  at  the 
wrist,  the  fingers  bent  immediately  and  seized  the  ring.  Na- 
poleon looked  humorously  at  his  astonished  marshals  and  gen- 
erals. "Now,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "we  need  no  longer  be 
afraid  of  bullets,  for  if  we  lose  the  hands  and  feet  that  God 
has  given  us,  we  can  replace  them  by  those  made  by  Mr. 
Malzl." 

"Sire,"  said  Mr.  Malzl,  smiling,  "will  you  convince  your- 
self that  my  artificial  hand  cannot  merely  pick  up,  but  also 
retain  an  object?  Will  your  majesty  try  to  take  the  ring 
from  it?" 

Napoleon  seized  the  ring,  but  the  fingers  held  it  with  irre- 
sistible tenacity.  "Indeed,  these  are  very  sensible  fingers," 
exclaimed  Napoleon;  "they  do  not  give  up  what  they  once 
get  hold  of." 

"  Yes,  sire,  they  will.  I  touch  this  spring,  and  the  fingers 
open  again." 

"  No,  no,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  "  let  them  keep  this  time 
what  they  have,  and  wear  the  ring  as  a  memento.  I  will  allow 
them  only  to  deliver  it  to  their  maker,  who  knows  not  only 
how  to  use  his  own  hands  so  skilfully,  but  also  to  manufacture 
serviceable  ones  for  others.  No  thanks,  sir!  we  are  greatly 
indebted  to  you,  and  not  you  to  us,  and  it  certainly  behooves 
me  to  thank  you  in  the  name  of  the  brave  soldiers  whose  lost 
limbs  you  replace  so  ingeniously.  When  the  precious  day  of 
peace  will  come,  people  will  be  able  to  do  without  your  inven- 
tion, but  I  am  afraid  we  shall  not  live  to  see  that  day.  Wo 
are,  I  fear,  always  exposed  to  the  horrors  of  war.  ilence, 
your  invention  is  a  blessing  that  cannot  be  appreciated  too 
highly,  for,  thanks  to  you,  there  will  be  fewer  cripples  and 
unsightly  wooden  legs.  I  shall  issue  orders  to  select  five  of 
the  bravest  and  most  deserving  invalids  from  every  regiment 
of  my  army,  and  you  will  restore  to  them  their  lost  arms,  logs 


442  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

and  hands,  at  my  expense.  Indeed,  sir,  you  imitate  the 
Creator,  and  the  wonder  would  be  complete  if  you  knew  also 
how  to  replace  lost  heads." 

"Sire,  I  do  know  that,  too,"  said  MaM,  smiling. 

"Yes,  a  head  of  wax  or  painted  wood!" 

"No,  sire,  a  head  that  moves,  opens,  and  closes  its  eyes, 
and — thinks." 

"  A  head  that  thinks?"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  laughing. 
"  Ah,  that  is  a  pretty  strong  assertion,  which  you  could  hardly 
prove." 

"  Pardon  me,  your  majesty,  I  engage  to  furnish  the  proof." 

"How  so?" 

"  If  your  majesty  will  acknowledge  that  one  must  think  in 
order  to  play  a  game  of  chess,  then  the  artificial  man  in  my 
possession  is  able  to  think." 

"Where  have  you  that  man  with  the  thinking  head?" 

"  Sire,  I  have  caused  my  assistants  to  set  it  up  in  the  ad- 
joining room.  But  I  must  observe  that  this  man  was  not 
made  by  myself;  it  is  the  master-piece  of  the  late  Mr.  Kem- 
peler,  a  well-known  mechanician,  of  whose  son  I  bought  my 
slave." 

"Ah,"  said  Napoleon,  laughing,"  do  you  not  know  that  the 
trade  in  human  chattels  is  now  prohibited  in  our  civilized 
states?  But  let  us  see  your  slave. — Come,  gentlemen,"  added 
Napoleon,  turning  toward  his  marshals  and  adjutants,  "let  us 
look  at  the  work  of  this  modern  Prometheus."  He  walked 
toward  the  door,  but,  before  leaving  the  cabinet,  he  turned  to 
the  chamberlain.  "  When  the  Duke  de  Cadore  comes  bring 
me  word  immediately."  He  then  stepped  into  the  adjoining 
room  and  the  marshals  and  Mr.  Malzl  followed  him. 

In  the  middle  of  the  room,  at  a  small  table,  on  which  was 
a  chess-board,  sat  a  neatly-dressed  male  figure,  looking  like  a 
boy  fourteen  years  old. 

"That,  then,  is  the  celebrated  chess-player,"  remarked  Na- 
poleon, advancing  quickly.  "  The  face  is  made  of  wax,  but 
who  will  warrant  that  there  is  not  a  human  countenance  con- 
cealed under  it,  and  that  this  prepossessing  and  well-propor- 
tioned form  does  not  really  consist  of  flesh  and  blood?" 

"  Sire,  this  will  convince  your  majesty  that  such  is  not  the 
case,"  said  Malzl,  touching  a  spring  on  the  neck  of  the  au- 
tomaton, and  taking  the  head  from  the  trunk. 

"You  are  right,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  laughing,  "I  am 
fully  convinced.  It  is  true  men  are  walking  about  without 


NAPOLEON  AT  SCHONBRUNN.  443 

heads,  but  they  are  not  so  honest  as  to  reveal  the  fact  so 
openly  as  your  automaton  does." 

"  Sire,  will  your  majesty  grant  the  favor  of  playing  a  game 
of  chess  with  him?"  asked  Miilzl,  fastening  on  again  the  head 
of  the  automaton. 

"What!  the  thing  will  dare  to  play  a  game  of  chess  with 
me?" 

"  With  your  majesty's  permission." 

"And  alone?" 

"Yes,  sire;  your  majesty  will  permit  me,  however,  to  take 
position  behind  the  chair?" 

"  Certainly.  I  see  the  chessmen  are  already  on  the  board ; 
let  us  commence."  The  emperor  sat  down  opposite  the  au- 
tomaton, and  saluted  it  with  a  pleasant  nod. 

"Well,  comrade,  let  us  commence,"  said  Napoleon. 

The  automaton  made  a  graceful  bow,  and  beckoned  to  the 
emperor  with  its  uplifted  right  hand,  as  though  he  wished 
him  to  commence. 

"Well,  I  shall  commence,"  said  Napoleon,  advancing  a 
pawn. 

The  automaton  took  the  pawn  in  front  of  the  king  and  ad- 
vanced it  two  squares.  The  emperor  made  another  move,  and 
so  did  his  opponent.  Looking  smilingly  at  the  figure,  Napo- 
leon played  his  black  bishop  as  a  knight,  occupying  the 
oblique  white  square.  The  automaton,  shaking  its  head,  put 
the  bishop  on  the  square  it  ought  to  occupy. 

"Ah,  it  does  not  like  cheating,"  exclaimed  Napoleon, 
laughing;  "it  is  a  very  earnest  and  conscientious  player." 
And  the  emperor  made  another  move.  The  automaton  con- 
tinued the  game.  Another  attempt  was  made  to  cheat  by 
moving  the  castle  in  an  oblique  direction.  His  adversary 
took  the  castle  with  an  impetuous  gesture  and  placed  it  aside 
like  a  pawn  it  had  won. 

"It  very  properly  punishes  me,"  said  the  emperor.  "Wo 
must  play  seriously." 

The  game  proceeded.  It  became  more  and  more  intricate; 
the  chances  were  soon  in  favor  of  the  automaton,  and  the  em- 
peror was  in  danger  of  losing  the  game.  Forgetting  who  was 
his  antagonist,  he  remembered  only  that  he  was  about  to  lose 
a  game,  and  became  serious.  He  played  hastily,  and  for  the 
third  time  tried  to  cheat  by  moving  a  knight  contrary  to  the 
rules.  The  automaton  shook  its  head  vehemently,  aud  upset 
the  whole  chess-board. 


444  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"Ah,  it  refuses  to  continue  the  game,"  exclaimed  Napo- 
leon ;  "  it  despises  my  swindling,  and  forgets  that  it  is  itself 
a  swindle.  You  may  be  thankful,  M.  Malzl,  that  we  are  no 
longer  in  the  middle  ages;  formerly  they  would  have  burned 
you  at  the  stake  as  a  sorcerer,  attempting  to  do  what  God 
alone  is  able  to  do." 

"  Sire,  permit  me  to  repeat  that  this  machine  was  not  made 
by  myself,  but  by  Kempeler.  But  I  hope  your  majesty  will 
permit  me  to  show  you  my  own  automaton,  and  allow  it  to 
indulge  in  a  little  music  before  you." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"Here,"  said  Malzl,  opening  the  closed  curtains  of  one  of 
the  windows,  and  pointing  at  the  handsome  figure  visible  be- 
hind them. 

"Ah,  a  postilion!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "and  it  will  blow 
us  a  tune  on  the  bugle?" 

"  Sire,  it  begs  leave  to  play  the  Marseillaise  to  your  majesty," 
said  Malzl,  moving  the  figure  on  rollers  into  the  middle  of  the 
room. 

"  Let  it  commence,"  said  Napoleon, 

The  postilion  raised  its  arm,  seized  the  bugle  hanging  on  a 
silken  string  around  its  neck,  put  it  to  its  mouth  and  com- 
menced blowing. 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  the  cabinet  opened ;  the  cham- 
berlain entered  and  approached  the  emperor.  "Sire,"  he 
said,  the  "  Duke  de  Cadore  has  just  arrived  and  begs  to  be 
admitted." 

"Conduct  him  immediately  into  my  cabinet,"  replied  Na- 
poleon, rising  hastily.  He  then  beckoned  the  mechanician  to 
his  side.  "  Let  your  postilion  still  play  to  the  marshals.  As 
to  your  chess-player,  I  must  buy  it  of  you.  You  may  apply 
to  Grand-Marshal  Duroc  for  the  money.  In  order  to  punish 
the  automaton  for  nearly  beating  me  at  the  game,  I  will  buy 
it,  and  it  is  henceforth  to  be  my  slave."  * 

"  Sire,  that  is  no  punishment,  but  a  reward,  for  which  I 
beg  leave  to  thank  you  in  the  name  of  my  chess-player." 

"  You  have  invented  a  most  acceptable  substitute  for  such 
of  my  invalids  as  have  lost  arms  or  legs,"  said  the  emperor; 
"  now  you  must  invent  something  else  for  me,  and  come  to 
the  assistance  of  the  wounded  on  the  battle-field.  Make  me 
the  model  of  an  ambulance  into  which  the  disabled  can  be 

*This  chess-player,  which  Napoleon  bought  of  Malz),  remained  at  the  Villa  Bona- 
parte, near  Milan,  until  1812,  when  it  was  removed  to  Paris,  where  it  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 


NAPOLEON  AT  SCHONBRUNN.  445 

placed  safely  and  comfortably,  and  which  is  arranged  iu  such 
a  manner  that  it  may  be  taken  asunder  and  transported  on 
horseback  with  the  train  of  the  army.  You  are  an  inventive 
genius,  and  I  shall  expect  you  with  your  model  iu  the  course 
of  a  week.  Now  let  your  postilion  blow  again.  Good-by!" 
He  waved  his  hand  kindly  to  the  mechanician,  and  then  has- 
tened back  into  his  cabinet.  The  Duke  de  Cadore  was  there 
already,  and  saluted  the  emperor  with  a  low  bow. 

"  Well,  Champagny,"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  quickly,  "  do 
you  not  yet  bring  us  peace?" 

"  No,  sire,  the  ambassadors  of  Austria  refuse  peremptorily 
to  accept  the  terms  proposed  to  them." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  menacingly,  "those  Aus- 
triana  believe  they  can  bid  me  defiance.  They  have  not  yet 
been  humbled  enough,  although  I  have  defeated  their  army, 
foiled  the  plans  of  their  commander-in-chicf,  expelled  their 
emperor  from  his  capital,  and  am  residing  at  his  palace. 
They  wish  for  further  humiliations,  and  they  shall  have  them. 
If  they  do  not  change  their  mind  very  speedily,  I  shall  send 
for  the  Grand-duke  of  Wurzburg  and  adorn  his  head  with. the 
imperial  crown  of  Austria." 

"  Sire,  that  would  be  replacing  one  puppet  by  another,  but 
not  removing  the  men  pulling  the  wires;  and  they  are  all 
animated  by  the  same  spirit.  Prince  Lichtenstein  and  Count 
Bubnaare  no  less  inflexible  than  was  Count  Metternich.  It  is 
true  they  have  already  yielded  in  some  points,  and  declared 
to-day  that  the  Emperor  Francis  had  authorized  them  to  ac- 
cept some  of  the  conditions  proposed." 

"  Which?"  asked  Napoleon,  nastily. 

"  The  emperor  is  ready  to  cede  to  France  Dalmatia  and 
Croatia,  the  territories  demanded  by  your  majesty." 

"  Well!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  "we  obtain  thereby  the  chief 
point.  I  shall  extend  the  territory  of  France  to  the  Save,  and 
become  the  immediate  neighbor  of  Turkey.  Let  the  Emperor 
of  Russia  try  then  to  carry  his  plans  against  Constantinople 
into  effect:  France  will  know  how  to  protect  her  neighbor, 
and  her  troops  will  always  be  ready  to  defend  the  Porte. 
When  I  have  extended  my  frontiers  into  the  interior  of  Dal- 
matia  and  Croatia,  Russia's  influence  in  the  Orient  is  para- 
lyzed, and  France  will  be  all-powerful  in  Constantinople. 
What  is  it  that  Austria  refuses  after  granting  our  principal 
demands?" 

"  Sire,  she  consents  further  to  cede  to  Bavaria  part  of  Upper 


446  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Austria,  namely:  Salzburg,  Berchtesgaden,  and  part  of  the 
district  of  the  Inn  and  Hausruck,  but  she  refuses  to  give  up 
one-half  of  Upper  Austria,  which  we  claimed;  she  refuses 
further  to  cede  to  Saxony  such  large  territories  in  Bohemia, 
and  to  Russia  in  Galicia,  as  was  demanded  by  your  majesty." 

"  We  may  yield  a  little  as  to  these  points,"  said  Napoleon. 
"  It  is  always  better  to  make  exorbitant  demands,  because  it 
is  easier  then  to  abate,  and  appear  accommodating.  I  do  not 
attach,  moreover,  any  great  value  to  the  enlargement  of  Ba- 
varia, Saxony,  and  Russia.  Only  the  aggrandizement  of 
France  by  the  extension  of  our  frontiers  to  the  boundaries  of 
Turkey  was  to  be  the  object  of  our  ambition.  Having  at- 
tained this,  we  will  yield  as  to  the  cession  of  other  territories, 
and  be  satisfied  with  less,  provided  that  Austria  accept  un- 
reservedly and  fully  the  two  other  conditions  I  refer  to." 

"  Your  majesty  refers  to  the  reduction  of  the  Austrian 
army,  and  the  war  contribution  of  one  hundred  millions  of 
francs,  which  we  have  demanded." 

"  Which  we  have  demanded,  and  which  must  be  paid,  un- 
less they  wish"  me  to  resume  hostilities,"  said  Napoleon, 
menacingly. 

"  Sire,  these  are  the  two  points  as  to  which  Austria  shows 
the  greatest  reluctance,"  said  Champagny,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  "  She  contends  that  a  reduction  of  her  army, 
brought  about  by  the  imperious  demands  of  France,  is  in- 
compatible with  the  honor  and  dignity  of  her  emperor;  and 
further,  that  she  is  unable  to  pay  a  war  contribution  of  one 
hundred  millions  of  francs." 

"  She  dares  then  to  reject  my  demands!"  exclaimed  Napo- 
leon, with  a  gloomy  air.  "  She  will  compel  me  to  recom- 
mence the  war  for  the  sake  of  a  few  miserable  millions  of 
francs!" 

"  Sire,  Austria  makes  counter-propositions,  and  hopes  that 
an  understanding  will  be  arrived  at.  She  promises  to  reduce 
her  army  considerably  in  the  course  of  six  months,  to  disband 
the  militia,  and  to  place  the  regiments  on  a  peace  footing. 
She  further  offers  one-half  of  the  sum  which  we  have  de- 
manded, namely,  fifty  millions." 

"  And  she  believes  that  I  will  be  satisfied  with  that?"  said 
Napoleon.  "  She  attempts  to  beat  me  down  as  though  I  were 
a  British  shopkeeper!  She  dares  to  offer  me  one-half,  and 
talks  to  me  about  the  honor  and  dignity  of  her  emperor!  As 
if  it  did  not  depend  on  me  to  trample  under  foot  his  honor 


NAPOLEON  AT  SCHONBRUNN.  447 

and  dignity,  and  to  cast  the  imperial  crown  of  Austria  into 
the  waves  of  the  Danube,  or  to  place  it  on  my  own  head,  just 
as  I  prefer!" 

"  Sire,  I  believe  the  Emperor  Francis  is  fully  aware  of  the 
danger  menacing  him,  and  he  is  conscious,  too,  that  his 
dynasty  is  at  stake  in  these  negotiations.  I  do  not  believe, 
therefore,  that  hostilities  will  break  out  again,  owing  to  his 
reluctance  to  submit  to  these  two  conditions." 

"I  shall  not  yield,"  said  Napoleon,  "although  it  seems  to 
me  disgraceful  to  commence  another  war  for  the  sake  of  fifty 
millions,  and  when  I  know  that  my  own  army  is  in  need  of 
repose.  I — "  The  emperor  interrupted  himself,  and  listened 
to  the  clock,  which  struck  twelve.  "Indeed,  it  is  already 
twelve  o'clock!  My  guard  must  have  been  waiting  for  me  in 
the  palace-yard  for  some  time."  He  stepped  to  the  window 
and  looked  down.  "  My  splendid  guard  has  already  formed 
in  line,"  he  said,  "and  there  is  a  vast  crowd  of  spectators 
from  Vienna  to  see  the  parade." 

"To  see  your  majesty,"  corrected  Champagny,  approaching 
the  window  at  a  sign  made  by  Napoleon. 

"Just  look  at  that  crowd!"  said  the  emperor,  smiling. 
"  There  are  at  least  three  thousand  men  who  have  come  hither 
to  see  me  and  my  soldiers,  and  they  do  not  belong  exclusively 
to  the  lower  classes,  as  is  proved  by  the  large  number  of  car- 
riages, the  numerous  elegant  horsemen,  and  by  the  windows 
yonder."  He  pointed  at  the  windows  of  the  opposite  wing  of 
the  palace;  and  when  the  minister  turned  his  eyes,  he  beheld 
a  large  number  of  ladies,  whose  toilet  seemed  to  indicate  that 
they  belonged  to  the  higher  classes  of  society. 

"See!"  said  the  emperor,  "that  beautiful  lady  in  the 
ermine  dress;  it  is  the  Princess  von  Fiirstenberg,  and  the  lady 
at  her  side  is  the  wife  of  Field-Marshal  von  Bellegarde.  They 
requested  Bausset  to  lend  them  one  of  his  windows,  that  they 
might  witness  the  parade.  The  ladies  at  their  side  are  all 
members  of  the  highest  aristocracy,  and  the  citizens  and  the 
populace  generally  are  in  the  yard  below.  You  see,  these 
good  people  regard  us  no  longer  as  enemies;  they  love  and 
esteem  us,  and  perhaps  it  would  be  wisest  and  best  for  me  to 
claim  the  crown  of  Austria  in  order  to  put  an  end  to  all 
further  quarrels.  The  Austrians,  it  seems  to  me,  would  be 
content  with  it.  Well,  we  shall  see  further  about  it!  I  will 
not  make  the  ladies,  the  populace,  and,  above  all,  my  sol- 
diers, wait  longer.  You  may  remain  here  in  my  cabinet. 


448  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

There  is  a  note  on  the  table  which  I  want  yon  to  finish.     I 
shall  return  soon. 

The  emperor  took  his  hat,  and,  opening  the  door  leading 
into  the  adjoining  room,  he  called  out:  "Gentlemen  of  the 
staff — to  the  parade!" 


CHAPTER    LI. 

FEEDERICK   STAPS. 

THE  bands  played,  and  shouts  of  "  Vive  VEmpereur!" 
burst  from,  the  troops.  Napoleon  had  emerged  from  the  pal- 
ace door,  and  the  welcome  was  as  a  sunbeam  brightening  his 
cold  and  emotionless  face.  He  slowly  descended  the  steps, of 
the  outside  staircase,  with  his  eyes  on  the  soldiers,  and  he  did 
not  notice  the  young  man  who  stood  below,  presenting  to  him 
a  petition  with  his  left  hand,  while  he  concealed  his  right 
under  his  cloak. 

"Sire,"  said  the  young  man,  loudly  and  urgently,  "sire, 
here  is  a  petition,  and  I  request  your  majesty  to  listen  to  me 
for  a  moment.  I — " 

Napoleon  passed  on  the  other  side  without  having  heard 
these  words.  The  youth,  holding  the  petition  still  in  his  hand, 
was  about  to  follow  him,  but  Marshal  Bessieres,  who  walked 
behind,  kept  him  back.  "  If  you  present  a  petition  to  the 
emperor,"  he  said,  "wait  here  until  the  parade  is  over,  when 
he  will  return  this  way."  The  marshal  proceeded,  but  the 
young  man  took  no  notice  of  his  order,  and  mingled  boldly 
with  the  emperor's  suite. 

General  Rapp  at  length  laid  his  hand  on  the  youth's  shoul- 
der, and  said : 

"  Sir,  you  must  withdraw.     This  is  no  place  for  you." 

"  I  have  to  present  a  petition  to  the  emperor  which  cannot 
be  delayed,"  said  the  young  man,  in  a  gentle  voice,  "pray 
permit  me  to  give  it  to  him  at  once." 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  out  of  place  here,"  exclaimed  the  general, 
vehemently.  Beckoning  to  one  of  the  second  lieutenants, 
he  said:  "  Conduct  this  man  away  from  here." 

"  Come,  sir,"  said  the  lieutenant;  "stand  back,  soldiers; 
let  this  man  pass."  In  spite  of  himself,  he  was  soon  hurried 
to  the  rear. 


FREDERICK  STAPS.  449 

"  I  must  attain  my  object — I  must  fulfil  my  oath,"  he  mut- 
tered to  himself.  "  Napoleon  must  die  to-day,  and  Frederick 
Staps  shall  be  his  executioner.  Forward  !"  lie  elbowed  him- 
self through  the  crowd  that  had  assembled  behind  the  soldiers, 
and,  standing  on  tiptoe,  tried  to  descry  the  emperor  and  his 
marshals  while  walking  into  the  semicircle  formed  by  the 
troops. 

No  one  noticed  that,  seeing  a  passage  in  the  ranks  of  the 
soldiers,  Staps  advanced,  cautiously  and  quickly  as  a  snake, 
until  he  was  again  inside  the  semicircle.  "  Fate  is  favorable 
to  me,"  he  muttered,  "and  the  moment  is  at  hand  when  I 
will  deliver  Germany!"  He  approached  the  emperor,  who 
was  just  coming  down  the  front  from  the  other  side.  "  Sire," 
he  exclaimed,  stretching  out  his  paper  toward  Napoleon, 
"take  my  petition,  and  listen  to  me  a  few  minutes." 

The  emperor  looked  for  a  moment  on  the  pale  countenance 
of  the  young  man.  "I  do  not  understand  you,"  he  said; 
"apply  to  General  Rapp." 

Staps  apparently  had  not  heard  Napoleon's  words;  he  ap- 
proached still  closer,  and  put  his  right  hand  under  his  cloak. 
"Sire,  listen  to  me,"  he  exclaimed,  "I —  A  strong  hand 
grasped  his  arm  and  pushed  him  back. 

"  Did  you  not  hear  that  you  are  to  apply  to  General  Rapp?" 
asked  Marshal  Bessieres.  "  Why  did  you  come  the  second 
time  to  a  place  where  you  do  not  belong?  Leave  immedi- 
ately, or  you  will  be  arrested !" 

"  I  am  going,"  muttered  Staps,  and  turned  to  pass  through 
the  ranks  of  the  soldiers. 

At  this  moment  a  dark  suspicion  arose  in  the  mind  of  Bes- 
sieres, for  which  he  was  unable  to  give  any  good  reasons,  but 
which  alarmed  him.  lie  beckoned  to  two  soldiers,  and, 
pointing  at  Staps,  who  was  pressing  his  way  outside,  he 
said,  "Arrest  that  man,  and  bring  him  hither!"  His  order 
was  obeyed  in  a  moment,  and  the  soldiers,  holding  Staps  by 
the  arms,  dragged  him  to  the  marshal,  whom  the  Duke  de 
Rovigo  and  General  Ilapp  had  now  joined. 

"Why  did  you  have  me  arrested,  general?"  asked  Staps,  in 
a  firm,  calm  voice. 

"Because  I  distrust  you,"  replied  Bessieres.  "Take  off 
your  cloak !" 

Staps  hesitated.  "Take  off  your  cloak!"  repeated  Bes- 
eieres;  and,  not  obeying,  the  soldiers  violently  tore  the  cloak 
from  his  shoulders,  and,  as  they  did  so,  something  flashed. 


450  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

It  was  the  blade  of  a  large  knife,  in  a  belt  with  which  he  had 
fastened  his  black  velvet  coat. 

"He  is  saved  and  I  am  lost!"  muttered  Staps  to  himself, 
and  dropped  his  head  on  his  breast. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  knife?"  asked  General  Rapp. 
"  What  did  you  want  to  do  with  it?" 

Staps  slowly  raised  his  head  and  lifted  np  his  arm  to  point 
at  the  emperor,  who  was  standing  but  a  few  steps  from  them. 

"I  intended  to  punish  him,"  he  said,  solemnly. 

"An  assassin!  an  assassin!"  cried  the  marshals,  in  dismay, 
thronging  around  him. 

The  emperor,  perhaps,  had  heard  these  cries,  for  he  ap- 
proached. 

"  What  is  going  on  here?"  he  asked,  as  his  eyes  turned  to  the 
pale  face  of  the  young  man. 

"  Sire,"  said  Bessieres,  with  an  air  of  horror,  "you  see  here 
a  criminal  who  was  about  to  assassinate  you !  Here  is  the 
knife  with  which  he  intended  to  perpetrate  the  deed." 

Not  a  feature  of  the  emperor's  countenance  changed;  not 
a  muscle  quivered  or  betrayed  any  inward  emotion.  "  Hush," 
he  said,  in  a  low,  imperious  voice.  "  Take  the  man  into  the 
palace!  I  will  examine  him  after  the  parade  is  over.  Let 
Savary  and  Rapp  accompany  him. — Come,  marshals!" 

While  Savary  and  Rapp,  with  the  soldiers  who  surrounded 
Staps,  hastened  into  the  palace,  Napoleon,  escorted  by  his 
marshals,  walked  slowly  down  the  front.  He  did  not  finish 
the  parade  a  minute  earlier  than  usual.  Ascending  the  stair- 
case, he  stood  on  the  landing,  and  received  again  the  saluta- 
tions of  the  military.  He  then  stepped  into  the  lower  hall  of 
the  palace.  But  there  he  accelerated  his  steps,  and,  hurrying 
through  the  anterooms,  entered  the  apartment  contiguous  to 
his  cabinet. 

An  hour  had  passed  since  he  had  admired,  in  this  room, 
M.  Miilzl's  chess-player  and  postilion,  and  now  he  looked 
wonderingly  at  the  young  man  who  had  tried  to  assassinate 
him.  "  He  is  really  but  a  child,  and  looks  very  innocent," 
exclaimed  the  emperor,  shrugging  his  shoulders;  "I  do  not 
believe  that  he  is  an  assassin." 

"  Sire,  here  is  the  knife  that  was  found  on  his  person,"  said 
Savary,  handing  it  to  the  emperor. 

"That  is,  indeed,  a  strong  proof  of  his  intention,"  replied 
Napoleon.  "  But  who  tells  you  that  this  knife  was  designed 
for  me?  I  will  myself  speak  to  the  man.  Rapp,  are  you 


FREDERICK  STAPS.  451 

sufficiently  familiar  with  the  German  language  to  be  my  in- 
terpreter?" 

"Yes,  sire,  I  speak  German." 

"Come,  then,"  said  the  emperor,  quickly  approaching 
Staps,  whose  hands  had  been  tied  behind  him. 

"  Whence  do  you  come,  and  what  is  your  name?" 

"  I  come  from  Naumburg,  and  my  name  is  Frederick 
Staps,"  was  the  calm  reply. 

"  What  is  your  father?" 

"  He  is  a  clergyman." 

"  A  clergyman!  and  he  has  taught  his  son  so  little  religion! 
For  I  am  told  you  intended  to  assassinate  me.  Is  that 
true?" 

"  It  was  the  last  means  that  I  had  resolved  upon  to  save  my 
unfortunate  native  land,"  replied  Staps,  in  a  gentle  voice. 
"  But  before  doing  so,  I  was  determined  to  try  another." 

"What?" 

"  To  implore  you,  in  the  name  of  my  country,  humanity, 
and  your  own  future,  to  give  peace  to  the  world,"  responded 
Staps,  enthusiastically.  "  I  hoped  that  Heaven  would  impart 
strength  to  my  words,  so  that  they  would  be  able  to  move 
your  heart;  that  your  eyes  would  see  the  fountains  of  blood 
your  accursed  hand  has  opened  on  the  peaceful  plains  of  Ger- 
many; that  the  armies  of  the  dead  lying  in  our  fields  might 
satisfy  your  desire  for  war.  Sire,  have  mercy  on  Germany 
and  on  yourself!  There  are  thousands  of  unburied  corpses 
accusing  Napoleon  as  their  murderer!  Our  cities  and  vil- 
lages are  filled  with  weeping  mothers,  and  widows,  and  chil- 
dren, arraigning  you  as  the  destroyer  of  their  sons,  husbands, 
and  fathers.  Sire,  have  mercy  on  your  own  conscience,  and 
restore  peace  to  the  world!" 

"He  is  assuredly  insane,"  murmured  Napoleon  to  himself. 
At  this  moment  he  cast  his  eyes  on  a  miniature,  fastened  to  a 
string,  and  lying  on  the  table. 

"What  locket  is  that?"  he  asked. 

"Sire,"  replied  Rupp,  "we  took  it  from  the  assassin;  he 
wore  it  on  his  neck." 

Napoleon  examined  it.  It  contained  the  portrait  of  a  beau- 
tiful woman.  "  Whose  portrait  is  it?" 

"  Sire,"  said  Staps,  in  a  solemn  voice,  "  it  is  the  portrait  of 
my  betrothed — my  dearly  beloved  Anna." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  emperor.  "You  have  a  sweet- 
heart— you  have  a  mother  and  a  father — you  are  in  the  flower 


452  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

of  your  life — and  yet  you  intended  to  commit  so  horrible  a 
crime!     For  you  will  not  deny  that  murder  is  a  crime." 

"  Murder  in  ordinary  cases  is  one  of  the  greatest  crimes," 
said  Staps,  in  his  calm,  gentle  voice.  "  But  to  take  your  life 
— to  rid  the  world  of  Napoleon — is  no  murder  and  no  crime; 
it  is  an  act  of  justice — nay,  it  is  a  sacred  duty !  If  I  had 
killed  you,  no  one  would  have  called  me  an  assassin ;  my  at- 
tempt is  criminal  because  it  did  not  succeed.  That  is  what 
one  of  our  own  great  poets  says  concerning  certain  actions: 

'  Conceived  and  unsuccessful— there's  the  crime  I 
Accomplished,  it  becomes  a  deed  immortal. 
And  what  succeeds  will  surely  be  forgiven, 
For  God's  own  verdict  lies  in  the  result  1 ' "  * 

"And  God,  then,  has  decided  against  you,"  said  Napoleon, 
quickly. 

"  No,  God  delays  only  the  execution  of  the  blow,  and  per- 
haps I  am  not  the  right  instrument.  He  will  choose  another, 
and  my  successors  will  know  better  how  to  find  your  heart. 
Believe  me,  the  Germans  know  how  to  do  their  duty ;  and  to 
rid  Germany  of  her  tyrant,  and  restore  peace  to  her  people,  is 
their  duty." 

"You  have  read  a  good  deal,  I  suppose?"  asked  the  em- 
peror. "  And  it  seems  books  have  excited  your  imagination. 
What  were  your  favorite  works?" 

"  Sire,  historical  works,"  said  Staps,  calmly.  "I  derived 
from  them  the  courage  required  for  my  deed." 

"You  know  something  of  Brutus,  then?"  asked  Napoleon, 
with  a  compassionate  smile. 

"  There  were  two  Brutuses.  The  last  Brutus  killed  the 
tyrant,  and  died  for  liberty.  Mankind  have  not  ceased  ad- 
miring him,  as  France  has  not  ceased  admiring  the  Maid  of 
Orleans.  She  delivered  her  country  from  its  enemies,  but  she 
was  captured,  and  perished.  I  intended  to  do  what  that 
heroic  maid  did — save  my  native  land  from  oppression,  but 
God  decreed  that  her  destiny,  and  not  her  deed,  should  be 
mine." 

"  Does  your  father  know  of  your  folly?" 

"  Neither  he  nor  my  betrothed,  nor  any  one  else,  knew  of 
my  purpose.  I  came  hither  alone,  and  alone  I  intended  to  ac- 
complish it.  Not  until  I  had  succeeded  was  its  revelation  to 

*  "  Gedacht  bloss  und  missgliickt — isfs  nur  ein  Frevel, 
Vollbracht,  ist's  ein  unsterblich  Dnternehmen, 
Und  was  nur  gliickt,  daa  wird  dann  auch  verziehen, 
Denn  jeder  Ausgang— 1st  ein  Gottes-Urtheil  I " 

SCHILLER. 


FREDERICK  STAPS.  453 

be  made.  And  the  news  would  have  come  to  those  I  love  as  a 
pledge  of  peace — that  the  deluge  of  blood  was  over,  and  Ger- 
many saved !" 

"  Your  father  and  your  betrothed  will  now  receive  bad  tid- 
ings of  you.  Are  you  not  afraid  of  grieving  them?" 

"  Both  of  them  will  weep  for  me — so  will  many  other  Ger- 
mans, and  their  tears  will  water  the  flowers  upon  my  grave." 

"  You  believe,  then,  that  I  shall  have  you  executed?" 

"  I  should  consider  it  but  natural  for  you." 

"  But  it  may  please  me  to  pardon  you.  Tell  me,  in  that 
case,  what  you  would  do?" 

"  Accomplish  my  purpose,"  replied  Staps,  calmly.  "  I  have 
sworn  to  kill  you.  I  must  fulfil  my  oath  or  die!" 

"Ah,  you  have  either  a  morbid  mind  or  a  morbid  body!" 
exclaimed  Napoleon,  vehemently. 

"No,  I  have  neither  one  nor  the  other,"  replied  Staps,  com- 
posedly; "my  mind  is  healthy,  and  so  is  my  body." 

"Send  for  Corvisart,"  ordered  the  emperor,  turning  to  his 
suite.  "  But  let  no  one  dare  tell  him  what  is  transpiring 
here." 

An  adjutant  hastened  out,  and  Napoleon  turned  again  to 
Staps.  "  Are  you  a  freemason  or  one  of  the  Illuminati?" 

"Neither." 

"Did  you  ever  hear  of  Moreau  and  Pichegru?" 

"I  did." 

"  And  what  do  you  think  of  these  men,  who  tried  to  take 
my  life?" 

"  I  think  that  they  were  afraid  of  death." 

"Did  you  knaw  Schill  and  Dornberg?" 

Staps  hesitated  a  moment,  and  replied:  "I  knew  Schill. 
I  saw  him  on  the  day  after  the  battle  of  Jena,  and  we  swore 
to  devote  our  thoughts,  our  energies,  and  our  lives,  to  the 
German  fatherland,  and  never  to  grow  weary  in  our  struggle 
against  the  tyrant.  There  were  three  of  us  who  took  this 
oath.  The  first  was  Count  Piickler,  who  shot  himself;  the 
second  was  shot,  Fredinand  von  Schill;  the  third  will  also 
be  shot,  Frederick  Staps!" 

"He  is  insane,"  repeated  Napoleon,  shuddering  involun- 
tarily at  the  tranquillity  of  the  prisoner. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  emperor's  physician,  M.  de  Cor- 
visart, entered. 

"Corvisart,  come  hither,"  the  emperor  said,  vehemently. 
"  Examine  this  young  man,  and  tell  me  what  is  the  matter 

T — JlUIlLBACH  VOL.     10 


454  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

with  him."  The  marshals  and  generals  stepped  aside,  and 
the  physician  approached  the  prisoner,  whose  hands  had  been 
untied  a  moment  previously.  "  Examine  his  pulse,  Corvisart ; 
examine  him  carefully  and  tell  me  whether  he  has  a  fever,  or 
is  insane." 

Staps  quietly  stretched  out  his  hand ;  Corvisart  took  it  and 
laid  his  fingers  on  the  pulse.  Silence  reigned  in  the  room. 
The  marshals  and  generals  in  full  uniform  surrounded  the 
group ;  in  the  midst  stood  the  emperor,  whose  face  was  sadder 
to-day  than  usual;  at  his  side  was  Staps,  with  his  gentle 
countenance  and  radiant  look  turned  toward  heaven,  his  right 
hand  resting  in  that  of  the  physician,  who  marked  every  pul- 
sation with  profound  attention. 

It  was  a  scene  worthy  an  artist's  pencil.  All  were  looking 
at  the  physician  and  waited  breathlessly  for  his  decision. 

"  Sire,"  said  Corvisart,  after  a  long  pause,  "  this  young  man 
is  in  perfectly  good  health;  his  pulse  is  regular;  there  is 
nothing  indicative  of  insanity  in  his  eyes;  his  complexion  is 
good,  and  in  fact  there  is  nothing  in  his  appearance  to  denote 
the  slightest  indisposition." 

"  Ah,"  exclaimed  Staps,  with  a  triumphant  smile,  "  you  see 
that  I  was  right.  I  am  neither  insane  nor  ill." 

Napoleon  stamped  with  anger,  as  his  eyes  flashed  fire. 
"He  is  insane,  Corvisart!"  he  exclaimed;  "examine  him 
again." 

Corvisart,  did  so,  and  in  a  short  time  said :  "  Sire,  I  can- 
not but  repeat  my  previous  statement;  I  do  not  find  a  trace 
of  fever  or  insanity.  His  pulse  is  perfectly  regular." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Napoleon,  frowning,  "this  healthy  per- 
son just  tried  to  assassinate  me!" 

"Assassinate  you!"  ejaculated  Corvisart  in  dismay.  "Un- 
fortunate young  man,  what  could  induce  you  to  attempt  such 
a  crime?" 

"The  misfortunes  and  sufferings  of  my  country,"  replied 
Staps.  "  I  desired  to  deliver  it  from  the  tyrant  who  has  been 
bringing  misery,  disgrace,  and  degradation  on  Germany  for 
the  last  ten  years.  My  attempt  was  vain,  but  some  one  else 
will  succeed  in  w.hat  I  have  failed  to  accomplish.  I  have  no 
actual  accomplices,  but  the  heart  of  every  German  is  my  ac- 
complice, and  the  knife  which  dropped  from  my  hand  to-day 
will  fall  into  another's.  All  Germany  is  in  conspiracy.  You 
may  kill  me,  but  thousands  are  ready  to  do  what  I  failed  to 
accomplish." 


FREDERICK  8TAPS.  455 

The  emperor  indeed  listened  to  such  words,  but  with  a 
dark  and  angry  countenance.  He  beckoned  the  Duke  de 
Rovigo  to  his  side. 

"Savary,"  he  said,  "take  this  boy  away,  and  subject  him  to 
a  close  examination.  Try  to  discover  his  accomplices.  If  he 
name  them,  I  will  pardon  him." 

"  Sire,  you  have  the  right  to  execute  me,  but  I  do  not  give 
you  the  right  to  despise  me,"  exclaimed  Staps. 

"Take  him  away!"  repeated  the  emperor,  "and  report  to 
ine  what  he  says."  Saluting  the  marshals  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand,  and,  casting  a  last  glance  on  Staps,  he  walked  by  and 
opened  the  door  of  the  cabinet,  where  Minister  Champagny 
was  awaiting  his  return. 

"  Champagny,"  said  the  emperor,  wearily  sitting  down  on 
an  easy-chair,  "  did  you  not  tell  me  the  Prince  von  Lichten- 
Btein  had  informed  you  that  frequent  propositions  to  assassi- 
nate me  had  been  made  to  him?" 

"Yes,  sire,"  replied  Champagny,  "and  the  prince  told  me 
he  had  invariably  rejected  them  with  horror." 

"  Nevertheless,  an  attempt  has  been  made.  A  young  man, 
scarcely  twenty  years  old,  with  the  face  of  a  sick  girl,  came 
hither  to-day  to  stab  me  with  a  kitchen-knife,  as  he  would  a 
goose  or  a  calf." 

"Merciful  Heaven,  that  is  terrible!"  exclaimed  Chainpaguy, 
turning  pale.  "  The  life  of  your  majesty  was  really  endan- 
gered, then?" 

"  If  the  knife  which  an  assassin  aims  at  your  breast  endan- 
gers your  life,  mine  was  endangered,"  said  the  emperor,  with 
a  gloomy  smile.  "  It  seems  my  marshals  were  somewhat  dis- 
trustful, and  did  not  believe  so  confidently  in  the  love  and 
admiration  of  the  spectators  as  I  did,  and  that  saved  my  life." 

"It  is,  perhaps,  only  a  false  suspicion,  sire;  the  knife,  it 
may  be,  was  not  intended  for  your  majesty." 

"Oh,  it  was!  I  personally  examined  the  young  man.  Ho 
confesses  his  purpose;  he  boasts  of  it,  and  says  if  I  pardoned 
him  he  would  attempt  the  same  thing." 

"Horrible!"  exclaimed  Champagny. 

"Yes,  horrible!"  repeated  the  emperor,  musingly,  "  the 
more  so  as  he  assures  me  with  the  utmost  tranquillity  that 
every  German  shares  his  hatred  of  me;  that  the  whole  laud  is 
but  a  hotbed  of  conspiracy,  and  that  thousands  of  huuds  are 
already  armed  to  pierce  my  heart.  And  this  young  man  is  in 
perfect  health,  bodily  and  mentally,  according  to  Corvisart, 


456  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

who  twice  examined  him ;  his  pulse  is  regular,  and  not  in  the 
least  feverish.  Ah,  these  Germans  have  gall  in  their  veins 
instead  of  blood !  They  are  fanatics,  and  of  such  we  ought  to 
beware."  He  dropped  his  head  on  his  breast.  After  some 
time  he  turned  toward  the  minister,  who  was  sitting  opposite 
him  in  respectful  silence.  "  Champagny , "  he  said,  hastily, 
"  we  must  make  peace.  I  am  bent  on  putting  an  end  to  the 
war,  and  on  leaving  the  country.  Eeturn  to  Vienna,  and 
send  immediately  for  the  Austrian  plenipotentiaries.  You 
have  already  agreed  as  to  the  chief  points ;  it  is  the  war  con- 
tribution alone  that  still  prevents  both  sides  from  coming  to 
a  definite  understanding.  You  ask  for  fifty  millions  more 
than  the  Austrians  offer  to  pay ;  well,  compromise  with  them ; 
induce  the  ambassadors  to  assent  to  the  payment  of  seventy- 
five  millions,  and  make  peace.  I  am  satisfied  with  the  stipu- 
lations of  the  last  draft  of  the  treaty;  add  to  it  whatever  you 
may  deem  prudent.  I  rely  altogether  on  you;  but,  at  all 
events,  make  peace!  Hasten  to  Vienna.  Good-by." 

The  Dukede  Cadore  left  the  emperor's  cabinet.  Napoleon 
was  still  moodily  sitting  in  his  easy-chair,  when  he  mur- 
mured: "Ah,  these  Germans!  They  cannot  be  trusted! 
They  are  dangerous  fanatics,  capable  of  perpetrating  the 
foulest  and  most  cowardly  crime,  and  of  sanctifying  it  on  the 
altar  of  duty." 


CHAPTER    LII 

AN   EXECUTION. 

NAPOLEON  had  passed  a  sleepless  night.  The  image  of  this 
pale  youth,  with  his  determined  patriotism,  who  frankly  con- 
fessed that  his  object  had  been  assassination,  and  regretted 
that  the  attempt  was  unsuccessful,  stood  as  a  grim  sentinel  by 
the  emperor's  couch,  forbidding  sleep  to  his  eyes  or  peace  to 
his  mind. 

It  was  scarcely  dawn  when  he  rose,  sad  and  weary,  and 
called  his  valet  de  chambre  to  dress  him.  His  lips  scarcely 
touching  the  cup  of  chocolate  presented  to  him,  he  pushed  it 
impatiently  aside.  Contrary  to  his  usual  manner  with  the 
servants,  he  left  his  bedroom  without  a  pleasant  glance  or  a 
kind  word,  and  repaired  to  his  cabinet.  The  candelabras  on 


AN  EXECUTION.  457 

the  mantel-piece  were  lit,  for  it  was  still  dark ;  and  a  bright 
fire  was  burning,  but  the  room  was  not  yet  warm. 

"Germany  is  a  cold,  disagreeable  country,"  exclaimed  Na- 
poleon, shuddering,  and  warming  his  feet  at  the  fire.  "  We 
are  only  in  the  early  part  of  October,  but  it  is  already  like 
mid-winter.  The  sun  himself  seems  to  put  on  the  sheep-skin 
which  every  German  pulls  over  his  ears.  In  truth,  it  is  a 
wretched  country;  I  wish  I  could  turn  my  back  on  it  to- 
morrow, and  bid  adieu  to  these  wild  dreamers.  When  so  slow 
and  cold-blooded  a  nation  gets  excited,  it  resembles  a  bull  in 
the  arena,  whose  fury  is  kindled  by  a  red  handkerchief. 
Such  is  Germany  at  this  time,  and  I  must  step  out  of  the  way 
if  I  do  not  wish  to  be  pierced  or  trampled  to  death.  That 
would  be  inglorious!" 

A  low  rapping  at  the  door  was  heard.  The  emperor 
started.  "Come  in!"  he  shouted,  in  an  imperious  voice. 

The  door  opened  immediately,  and  Constant  appeared. 
"  Pardon  me,  sire,  but  it  is  so  early  that  none  of  the  chamber- 
lains are  yet  in  the  anteroom." 

"  Well,  what  is  it?"  asked  Napoleon,  impatiently.  "  Quick, 
what  is  the  matter?" 

"Sire,  the  Duke  de  Cadore  has  just  arrived  from  Vienna 
and  desires  to  be  admitted." 

"Show  him  in  immediately,"  ordered  the  emperor,  who,  in 
his  impatience,  hurried  to  the  door  to  receive  the  minister. 

Champagny  entered,  carrying  under  his  arm  a  large 
portfolio. 

"  Well,  Champagny,  what  brings  you  hither  at  so  early  an 
hour?  What  has  occurred?  What  did  you  do  lust  night?" 

u  Sire,"  said  Champagny,  composedly,  "  I  have  made  peace." 

"  What?  Peace!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  and  his  counte- 
nance brightened,  as  if  the  morning  had  suddenly  cast  on  him 
its  earliest  golden  beams.  "Peace!  And  the  treaty  has 
already  been  signed?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  and  I  bring  it  to  your  majesty." 

" Signed!     But  how  did  you  do  that?" 

"  Sire,  as  soon  as  I  reached  Vienna  last  night,  I  sent  for  the 
Prince  von  Lichtenstein  and  Count  Budna,  and  locked  myself 
with  them  in  my  room.  We  had  a  long  and  exciting  discus- 
sion; but  I  saw  that  the  plenipotentiaries  had  received  fresh 
instructions  from  their  'emperor,  and  that  he  had  ordered 
them  to  make  peace.  I  extorted  million  by  million  from 
them;  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  had  already  made 


458  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

them  consent  to  the  payment  of  seventy-five  millions,  the  sum 
demanded  by  your  majesty;  but  I  saw  that  I  could  go  farther, 
and  I  did.  At  two  o'clock  I  succeeded  in  a  war  contribution 
of  eighty-five  millions,  and  with  that  I  was  satisfied." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  gayly;  "you  have  ob- 
tained eighty-five  millions  when  I  told  you  I  would  be  content 
with  seventy-five  millions!  That  was  well  done,  Champagny, 
and  I  am  highly  pleased  with  your  conduct.  Give  me  the 
treaty.  I  wish  to  read  it." 

Champagny  handed  the  emperor  the  papers,  and  he  read 
them  attentively.  "Very  well,"  he  said,  when  he  had  fin- 
ished, and  with  a  smile — "  we  have  accomplished,  indeed,  a 
very  favorable  peace.  Austria  has  concluded  four  treaties 
with  me  within  the  last  twelve  years,  but  I  must  confess  that 
this  is  the  most  advantageous  to  us — more  so  than  the  treaties 
of  Campo  Formio,  Luneville,  and  Presburg.  Austria  loses 
two  thousand  square  leagues,  with  three  millions  and  a  half 
of  inhabitants,  and  pays  us  a  war  contribution  of  eighty-five 
millions  of  francs.  I  think  France  may  be  thankful,  for, 
from  this  campaign,  we  bring  her  territory,  money,  and 
glory.  We  have  done  with  Austria;  and  the  insurgents  of 
the  Tyrol,  headed  by  their  peasant-prince,  Andrew  Hofer, 
will  likewise  have  to  submit.  Their  own  emperor  will  com- 
mand the  insurgents  to  lay  down  their  arms.  But  I  will 
make  an  example,  and  show  the  world  how  such  people  ought 
to  be  chastised.  Andrew  Hofer  must  be  delivered  to  me ;  he 
must  be  punished  as  a  demagogue !  Come,  Champagny,  let 
us  lose  no  time.  I  will  sign  the  treaty.  It  is  very  good.  I 
am  content  with  it."  He  stepped  to  his  desk  and  hastily 
affixed  his  signature.  He  then  cast  the  pen  aside,  and  his 
features  assumed  an  expression  of  proud  scorn.  "  Henceforth 
Austria  is  nothing  but  a  vassal  of  France,  and  I  can  annihilate 
her  whenever  I  please.  Her  frontiers  are  open  and  unpro- 
tected on  all  sides ;  she  is  weakened  within  and  without,  and 
hemmed  in  everywhere  by  French  territories.  She  dares  no 
longer  breathe  freely,  or  raise  her  arm  against  us.  If,  how- 
ever, she  should,  we  shall  crush  her,  and  reconstruct  the 
throne  of  Charlemagne  on  the  ruins  of  Austria.  His  crown 
belongs  to  me  already ;  I  have  it  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  I  do 
not  see  what  should  prevent  me  from  placing  it  on  my  brow 
in  Vienna." 

"Sire, "said  Champagny,  smilingly,  "it  would,  perhaps, 
be  more  desirable  for  your  majesty  to  allow  the  throne  of  the 


AN  EXECUTION.  459 

Hapsbnrgs  to  exist,  and  to  render  Austria  harmless,  not  by 
destroying  her,  but  by  attaching  the  imperial  family  to  your 
majesty  by  intimate  and  sacred  ties.  A  vanquished  enemy  is 
always  dangerous;  but  an  ally,  even  though  weak,  will 
strengthen  your  own  power,  and  Austria  is  able  to  give  to  the 
throne  of  your  majesty  the  last  and  only  jewel  that,  to  the 
infinite  regret  of  your  subjects,  it  still  lacks." 

"  Ah!"  exclaimed  the  emperor.  "  You  do  not  mean  to  say 
that  Austria,  bleeding  from  a  thousand  wounds  that  I  have 
inflicted  upon  her,  could  make  up  her  mind  to  put  an  end  to 
her  hatred  by  concluding  an  alliance  of  love  with  me?" 

"Sire,"  said  Champagny,  "I  do  not  believe  that  your 
majesty  is  hated  by  all  the  members  of  the  imperial  family  of 
the  Hapsburgs." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Napoleon,  casting  a  quick 
glance  on  the  smiling  countenance  of  the  minister. 

"  I  suppose  your  majesty  still  remembers  that,  during  the 
bombardment  of  Vienna  last  May,  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent 
with  the  request  that  no  more  bombshells  be  fired  at  the 
palace,  because  one  of  the  archduchesses  had  remained  there, 
having  been  prevented  by  sickness  from  leaving  the  capital 
with  the  imperial  family?" 

"  I  remember  the  incident,"  said  Napoleon.  "  A  few  shells 
had  already  struck  the  palace,  and  I  gave  orders  that  it  should 
be  spared.  One  of  the  little  daughters  of  the  emperor,  the 
Archduchess  Maria  Louisa,  then  a  mere  child,  had  been  left 
there  with  her  nurse." 

"  Sire,  this  child  is  seventeen  years  old,  and,  as  everybody 
assures  me,  she  is  very  beautiful,  with  light  hair,  blue  eyes, 
and  charming  figure.  She  was  deeply  moved  at  the  gener- 
osity manifested  by  your  majesty;  she  is  filled  witli  admiration 
for  the  hero  to  whom  indeed  the  whole  world  is  doing  hom- 
age, and  before  whose  power  the  mightiest  princes  pass  away: 
she  is  possessed  of  sufficient  energy  and  courage  to  give  utter- 
ance to  her  sentiments,  even  in  presence  of  her  father  the 
emperor." 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  Napoleon,  joyfully.  "  But  who  told 
you  so,  Cliampagny?" 

"  Sire,  the  Prince  von  Lichtenstein,  during  our  confidential 
interview  yesterday ;  and  he  added  that  the  Emperor  Francis, 
notwithstanding  the  short  time  that  has  elapsed  since  the  con- 
clusion of  the  recent  bloody  war,  and  the  many  fresh  humili- 
ations he  has  had  to  undergo,  seemed  himself  to  be  an  admirer 


460  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

of  your  majesty,  for  he  listened  to  the  eulogy  of  the  arch- 
duchess with  smiling  tranquillity." 

"  That  is  strange,"  said  Napoleon,  slowly  pacing  the  room; 
"  but  the  Austrian  marriages  were  always  pernicious  to 
France." 

"  Sire,  it  was,  however,  an  Austrian  princess,  Queen  Anne, 
who  gave  to  France  one  of  her  greatest  kings,  Louis  XIV." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Napoleon;  "  and  I  should  be  happy  if 
my  son  resembled  the  great  Louis." 

"Sire,  he  will  resemble  his  great  father,"  said  Champagny. 

"  A  son — an  heir  to  my  throne,"  said  the  emperor,  passion- 
ately— "  a  legitimate  inheritor  of  my  glory,  and  a  descendant 
of  an  ancient  and  imperial  house,  who  would  dare  doubt  the 
purity  of  his  blood,  and  his  right  to  reign?  His  throne  I 
would  have  established ;  and  he  would  confirm  by  the  highest 
title  the  fourth  dynasty  of  France.  Champagny,  I  must  have 
such  a  son,  and — poor  Josephine!" 

He  paced  the  apartment  with  rapid  steps,  and,  halting  in 
front  of  his  minister,  he  said :  "  I  shall  set  out  to-morrow ; 
this  air  is  oppressive.  I  can  hardly  breathe  it ;  and  besides 
I  have  no  longer  any  business  here.  You  will  remain  for  the 
purpose  of  exchanging  the  treaties  of  peace.  Immediately 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Austrian  plenipotentiary,  bringing 
the  copy  of  the  treaty  signed  by  the  Emperor  Francis,  you 
will  attend  to  the  exchange  of  the  ratifications,  and  inform 
me  that  it  has  been  carried  into  effect.  I  shall  go  from  here 
to  Munich,  and  reach  Fontainebleau  in  the  course  of  a  week. 
You  may  tell  the  Prince  von  Lichtenstein,  in  the  same  confi- 
dential manner  in  which  he  spoke  to  you  of  the  archduchess, 
that  I  am  now  firmly  determined  to  separate  from  the  Em- 
press Josephine ;  that  a  divorce  from  her  had  been  irrevocably 
resolved  upon,  and  that  it  would  be  publicly  proclaimed  in 
the  course  of  the  present  year.  That  is  all  that  you  will  tell 
him  for  the  present.  Champagny,  I  am  determined  to  make 
this  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  France,  however  painful  it  may 
be  to  my  heart.  The  welfare  of  my  country  and  the  stability 
of  my  throne  render  it  incumbent.  After  the  divorce  has 
taken  place,  I  shall  demand  a  final  and  categorical  reply  from 
Eussia,  and  if  Alexander  is  unable  to  give  it — if  his  mother 
still  refuse  to  place  her  daughter  on  the  most  powerful  throne 
in  the  world — well,  then,  I  shall  break  off  the  negotiations, 
and  remember  that  the  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa  has  some 
respect  and  sympathy  for  me.  For  the  present  we  may  be 


AN  EXECUTION.  461 

content  with  Austria,  and  I  think  the  treaty  of  Vienna  is  a 
work  of  which  we  may  well  be  proud.  The  genius  of  France 
will  give  it  a  glorious  place  on  the  tablets  of  history!" 

Two  days  afterward  the  emperor's  travelling-carriage  was 
in  front  of  the  palace  gate  of  Schonbrunn.  Every  thing  was 
in  readiness  for  his  departure,  and  he  was  about  to  leave  his 
cabinet.  He  only  wished  to  see  Grand-Marshal  Duroc,  who 
had  just  arrived  from  Vienna. 

The  door  opened,  and  Duroc  entered.  Napoleon  quickly 
met  him.  "Well,  Duroc,"  he  asked,  "did  you  see  him? 
Did  he  name  his  companions  in  this  crime?" 

"Sire,  I  have,  and  conversed  with  him,"  said  Duroc, 
gravely.  "  He  refuses  to  confess  any  thing,  and  talks  like  a 
madman." 

"What  does  he  say?"  exclaimed  Napoleon.  "Conceal 
nothing  from  me.  This  young  man  interests  me.  I  desire 
to  know  all." 

"  Sire,  he  affirms  that  your  majesty  is  his  only  accomplice; 
the  misery  brought  by  you  on  Germany,  he  contends,  insti- 
gated him  to  attempt  the  deed,  and  you  ought  to  blame  none 
but  yourself." 

"He  does  not  repent,  then?     He  does  not  ask  for  mercy?" 

"He  regrets  only  that  he  did  not  succeed,  and  he  asks 
merely  the  favor  of  being  permitted  to  keep  the  portrait  of 
his  Anna,  which  he  contemplates  continually;  and  he  im- 
plores her  in  touching  words  to  forgive  him  the  grief  he  has 
brought  upon  her." 

"What  a  strange  mixture  of  ferocity  and  gentleness!"  said 
the  emperor,  thoughtfully.  "  Has  he  been  closely  watched 
during  these  two  days?" 

"Two  gendarmes  were  locked  np  with  him  all  the  time,  and 
they  speak  with  astonishment  of  the  unruffled  tranquillity  of 
the  young  man.  For  the  most  part  he  paces  the  cell  with 
slow  steps;  at  times  he  kneels  down  and  prays  in  silence. 
Not  a  word  of  despair  has  escaped  his  lips,  not  a  tear  dropped 
from  his  eyes.  Yesterday,  when  his  dinner  was  brought,  he 
took  the  knife  and  looked  at  it  musingly.  One  of  the  gen- 
darmes intended  to  take  it  from  him,  but  Staps  handed  it  at 
once,  and  said,  smilingly,  'Fear  nothing,  I  will  not  hurt  my- 
self with  it;  I  will  not  waste  my  blood;  it  is  reserved  for  the 
altar  of  my  country,  and  must  be  shed  by  my  enemies. ' ' 

"Did  he  take  any  food?"  asked  the  emperor. 

"  No,  sire,  he  has  not  eaten  or  drunk  any  thing  these  two 


462  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

days.  He  says  he  has  done  with  life,  and  will  have  strength 
enough  left  to  meet  his  death  with  a  firm  step." 

"He  knows,  then,  that  he  is  to  be  shot?" 

"  Yes,  sire,  he  knows  that  the  court-martial  passed  sentence 
of  death  upon  him  last  night." 

"  But  I  hope  you  told  him,  Duroc,  that  I  had  sent  you  to 
him,  and  that  I  wished  to  pardon  him,  as  soon  as  he  repents 
of  his  deeds,  implores  my  forgiveness,  and  takes  an  oath  to 
give  up  his  evil  designs?  Did  you  tell  him  all  that,  Duroc?" 

"I  did,  sire." 

"  And  what  did  he  reply?     Tell  me  every  thing!" 

"  Sire,  he  replied,  that  if  he  could  repent  of  the  deed,  he 
would  not  have  attempted  it;  that  if  he  accepted  pardon,  all 
Germany  would  curse  him,  while  he  now  descends  into  the 
grave,  accompanied  by  the  blessings  and  tears  of  his  country; 
in  fine,  that  his  death  will  arouse  the  Germans,  and  urge 
them  to  renewed  efforts  for  liberty." 

The  emperor  made  no  reply.  His  whole  frame  shuddered, 
and  if  Corvisart  had  felt  his  pulse  then,  he  would  not  have 
said  that  it  was  quite  regular.  The  large  drops  of  perspira- 
tion on  the  emperor's  brow  might  have  alarmed  the  physician. 

"1  am  sure  he  is  insane,"  said  Napoleon,  after  a  pause. 
"  1  want  him  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  lunatic.  I  hope  that  the 
whole  affair  will  remain  a  secret,  and  that  the  world  will  hear 
nothing  of  it;  but  if  it  should  be  talked  about,  we  must  in- 
sist that  the  man  was  insane." 

Duroc  bowed  in  silence. 

"  When  is  Staps  to  be  shot?"  asked  the  emperor,  after  a 
pause. 

"Sire,  this  morning,  at  seven  o'clock." 

Napoleon  glanced  at  the  clock.  "  It  is  half-past  six,"  he 
said;  "I  will  set  out.  Well,  the  Viennese  will  not  hear  the 
report  of  the  muskets,  for  the  cannon  that  is  to  announce  to 
them  the  conclusion  of  peace  will  render  inaudible  the  volley 
at  the  execution.  Come,  Duroc!  I  am  tired  of  this  fantas- 
tic Germany!  Let  us  return  to  France!" 

Quickly  crossing  the  room  and  approaching,  the  door,  he 
stood  on  the  threshold  and  glanced  again  at  the  clock.  "  It 
is  a  quarter  to  seven,"  he  said;  "  in  fifteen  minutes  there  will 
be  one  lunatic  less  in  Germany !"  A  few  minutes  afterward 
a  carriage  rolled  down  the  avenue  of  the  palace  of  Schon- 
brunn.  The  emperor  had  departed. 

At  the  same  time  ther  room  opened  in  which  Staps  had  been 


AN  EXECUTION.  463 

confined  for  three  days,  under  the  close  surveillance  of  two 
gendarmes.  An  officer  entered;  eight  soldiers,  shouldering 
their  muskets,  drew  up  in  front  of  the  door.  Frederick 
Staps  met  the  officer  with  a  serene  smile.  He  still  wore  the 
short  black  velvet  coat,  fastened  around  his  slender  waist  by  a 
broad  leather  belt,  his  neck  surrounded  by  a  white  collar,  on 
which  his  long  hair  fell  in  dense  masses.  During  the  three 
days  of  his  captivity  he  had  not  undressed,  taken  no  food,  and 
even  abstained  from  sleep.  His  time  was  occupied  in  prepar- 
ing for  death,  and  in  writing  letters  to  his  beloved  Anna  and 
his  old  father.  These  letters,  folded  and  carefully  directed, 
he  placed  in  the  belt  which  the  fatal  knife  had  adorned  three 
days  before. 

"Sir,"  said  Staps,  offering  his  hand  to  the  officer,  "I  sup- 
pose you  come  for  me?" 

"  It  will  soon  be  seven  o'clock,"  replied  the  officer,  in  a  sad, 
compassionate  tone. 

"Oh,  sir,"  exclaimed  Staps,  "do  not  pity  me!  I  shall  die 
joyfully.  But  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you.  I  should  like 
to  send  my  last  love-greetings  to  my  father,  and  the  young 
lady  to  whom  I  was  engaged.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to 
send  my  letters  to  them?  You  hesitate?  Reply  to  me,  and 
consider  that  a  dying  man  always  should  be  told  the  truth." 

"Well,  sir,"  replied  the  officer,  "I  am  not  permitted  to 
forward  these  letters  to  them.  Not  a  word  is  to  be  said  about 
your  fate ;  it  must  remain  a  secret. " 

"  Ah,  the  tyrant  is  afraid  lest  my  destiny  should  become 
generally  known.  He  wishes  to  hide  it  in  obscurity ;  but  my 
name,  and  that  for  which  I  die,  will  not  sink  into  oblivion. 
The  day  of  freedom  will  dawn  yet  on  my  native  land,  and  my 
grave  will  be  known  and  vi*sited  by  my  German  brethren. 
You  will  not  forward  my  letters?" 

"  I  am  not  allowed  to  do  so,  sir." 

"  Well,  then  I  will  forward  them  myself,"  exclaimed  Staps, 
drawing  the  letters  from  his  belt  and  tearing  them  into  small 
pieces,  which  he  threw  away.  "Go!  my  greetings  and 
adieus!"  he  said;  "let  the  winds  bear  ye  into  the  quiet  par- 
sonage of  my  old  father,  and  the  chamber  of  my  faithful 
Anna!  Tell  my  countrymen  of  poor  Frederick  Staps,  who 
wished  to  save  Germany,  and  could  only  die  for  it! — Now 
come,  sir,  let  us  go!" 

"  You  have  no  other  wish?"  asked  the  officer.  "  There  is 
nothing  that  you  desire,  and  that  I  could  grant  you?" 


464  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"  Yes,  sir,  there  is.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  tied  like  a  wild 
beast,  but  conducted  to  the  place  of  execution  with  my  arms 
free ;  I  do  not  wish  to  be  blindfolded.  I  would  like  to  see 
the  soil  and  the  sky  of  my  country  in  the  last  moment!" 

"  That  wish  will  be  granted.  You  shall  be  executed  with 
your  eyes  open,  and  your  arms  unfettered." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Staps,  cordially  grasping  the  officer's 
hand.  "  I  suppose  it  is  time  for  us  to  go?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  officer,  mournfully,  "we  must  go!" 

"I  am  ready,"  responded  Staps,  and  he  walked  with  firm 
steps  toward  the  door. 

The  soldiers  stepped  aside,  and  then  surrounded  him  and 
the  officer.  The  procession  moved  slowly  and  silently  through 
the  long  and  gloomy  corridors.  Emerging  into  the  open  air, 
they  came  to  a  square  inside  the  bastions.  High  ramparts 
surrounded  it  on  three  sides;  on  the  fourth  rose  the  rear  wall 
of  the  barracks  in  which  the  condemned  had  spent  the  three 
days  of  his  imprisonment.  A  few  French  soldiers  were  stand- 
ing here  and  there  at  the  open  windows,  gazing  with  indiffer- 
ent face  on  the  young  stranger  led  to  execution,  and  of  whose 
crime  they  knew  nothing.  He  was  conducted  across  the 
square  to  the  opposite  rampart,  and  placed  in  front  of  the 
newly-dug  grave  which  was  to  receive  his  body. 

A  detachment  of  French  soldiers  marched  from  the  gate  of 
the  'barracks  and  formed  in  line,  just  as  the  sun  cast  his  first 
rays  over  the  rampart,  and  shone  upon  the  head  of  the  pale 
youth.  At  this  moment  the  earth  seemed  to  tremble  as  be- 
neath a  peal  of  thunder. 

"  What  is  that?"  asked  Staps  of  the  officer  who  was  stand- 
ing by  his  side. 

"  It  is  the  salute  announcing  that  peace  has  been  con- 
cluded." 

"Peace!"  exclaimed  the  dying  youth,  joyfully.  "Oh,  tell 
me  the  truth,  sir,  do  not  deceive  me?  Has  peace  really  been 
concluded?" 

"  Yes,  a  treaty  has  been  signed.  The  Emperor  Napoleon 
leaves  Schonbrunn  this  very  day  to  return  to  France.  Three 
months  hence  there  will  not  be  a  single  French  soldier  to  be 
seen  in  all  Austria." 

"Peace  restored  to  Germany!"  cried  Staps,  and,  sinking 
on  his  knees,  he  raised  his  arms  toward  heaven ;  joy  beamed 
from  his  countenance,  and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "I 
thank  Thee,  my  God,  I  thank  Thee!"  he  exclaimed  aloud. 


AN  EXECUTION.  465 

"  Thou  allowest  me  to  depart  amid  the  booming  of  cannon 
proclaiming  peace  to  Germany!  I  die  happy!" 

"Attention!     Aim!"  ordered  the  officer. 

The  young  man  rose  from  his  knees.  "  Give  me  another 
minute,"  he  cried;  "let  me  sing  my  death-hymn!" 

The  officer  nodded  assent.  Staps,  stretching  his  arms  up- 
ward, sang  in  a  joyous  voice: 

"Tod  clu  stisser  ftir  das  Vaterland, 
Siiss.-r  als  der  Brautgruss,  als  das  Lallen 
Auf  detn  Mntterscliooss  des  ersten  Kindes, 
Sei  mir  willkommen  ! 
Was  das  Lied  nictt  Joset,  lost—'' 

"Fire!"  said  the  commanding  officer,  and  twelve  soldiers 
discharged  their  muskets. 

Frederick  Staps  immediately  fell  dead,  and  the  blood 
streaming  from  his  breast  reddened  his  native  soil.  While 
Napoleon's  cannon  was  proclaiming  the  conclusion  of  peace, 
this  youthful  martyr  breathed  his  last  sigh ! 


BOOK   YIL 

CHAPTER    LIII. 

HOMEWARD   BOUND. 

THE  15th  of  December,  1809,  was  dawning.  Qneen  Louisa 
had  long  looked  for  this  day  with  a  throbbing  heart,  and  now 
that  it  had  come,  she  felt  embarrassed  and  anxious.  It  was 
the  day  when  the  royal  family  were  to  leave  Konigsberg  and 
return  to  Berlin,  where  the  court  was  again  to  reside.  Since 
the  3d  of  October  the  French  troops  and  authorities  had  left 
the  capital,  and  Berlin  was  once  more  a  Prussian  city,  yearn- 
ing for  the  return  of  its  king  and  queen. 

The  carriages  were  at  the  door;  the  princesses,  wrapped  in 
fur  robes,  were  in  the  anteroom  and  awaited  the  queen,  whose 
toilet  had  long  since  been  finished.  But  Louisa  had  not  yet 
left  her  sitting-room.  The  king  made  his  appearance,  ready 
to  set  out,  and  was  somewhat  surprised  at  not  finding  her  with 
her  daughters. 

"  The  queen  does  not  know,  perhaps,  that  the  carriages  are 
at  the  door,"  said  the  king.  "I  will  inform  her  that  it  is 
time  for  us  to  start."  He  walked  rapidly  through  the  adjoin- 
ing rooms  and  noiselessly  opened  the  door  of  the  queen's  sit- 
ting-room. 

Louisa,  wrapped  in  her  travelling-robe,  sat  on  the  sofa,  her 
hands  folded,  her  face  bathed  in  tears,  and  her  eyes  uplifted 
with  an  imploring  expression.  She  did  not  immediately 
notice  the  king,  who,  as  if  in  profound  reverence,  stood  at  the 
door.  The  queen  was  praying — how  could  he  dare  to  disturb 
her! 

At  last  she  lowered  her  eyes,  and  suddenly  saw  that  her 
husband  was  present.  "Oh,  my  friend,"  she  exclaimed,  ris- 
ing hastily,  "  my  thoughts  were  with  you,  and  on  taking  leave 
of  these  rooms  where,  owing  to  your  love,  I  have  enjoyed, 
these  last  years,  so  much  calm  and  sacred  happiness,  I  prayed 
that  God  cause  it  to  accompany  us  to  our  future  residence." 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  467 

"But  while  praying  you  wept,  Louisa?"  asked  the  king. 
"  I  hoped  that  the  days  of  tears  were  past,  and  that  iny  Louisa 
would  become  again  as  merry  and  light-hearted  us  she  used  to 
be.  Do  you  not  like  to  return  to  Berlin?" 

The  queen  looked  down  musingly.  "  I  cannot  tell  you," 
Bhe  said,  thoughtfully.  "  When  I  think  that  I  shall  soon  be 
in  Berlin,  and  meet  again  the  faithful  people,  my  heart  is 
joyful,  and  then  again  I  shed  many  tears  when  I  consider 
that,  while  I  may  find  every  thing  there  as  formerly,  there 
may  in  reality  be  sad  changes,  and  I  do  not  know  how  I  may 
be  affected.  Dismal  forebodings  are  troubling  me;  I  should 
like  best  to  sit  always  alone,  behind  my  little  lamp,  and  in- 
dulge in  my  reflections.  I  am  longing  for  Berlin,  and  yet  I 
am  almost  afraid  to  go  there." 

"  What  are  you  afraid  of?"  asked  the  king,  pressing  his 
wife  tenderly  against  his  breast. 

"  I  believe  I  am  afraid  of  prosperity,"  she  said,  with  a  gen- 
tle smile.  "  I  had  become  entirely  resigned,  and  forever  bid- 
den farewell  to  outward  splendor,  so  that  its  return  surprises 
and  almost  alarms  me.  Oh,  my  beloved  friend,  will  it  not 
destroy  the  humbled,  inward  repose,  which,  during  the  time 
of  privation,  was  our  support,  and  the  only  source  of  our  hap- 
piness?" 

"It  is  true,"  said  the  king,  smiling,  "during  these  quiet 
years  here  at  Konigsberg,  I  was  BO  happy  as  to  have  my  wife, 
the  charming  consoler  of  my  afflictions,  always  at  my  side; 
henceforth,  the  queen  will  often  take  my  wife  from  me,  and 
thousands  of  hearts  which  will  welcome  you  so  rapturously, 
will  separate  me  often  enough  from  my  ideal.  But  I  am  not 
jealous,  and  the  more  my  beautiful  queen  is  honored,  the 
greater  will  be  my  happiness.  Come,  my  Louisa,  let  us  go! 
the  carriages  are  in  readiness,  and  the  children  are  waiting 
for  us;  but,  before  we  leave  this  quiet  room,  accept  again  my 
thanks  for  the  fidelity  and  kindness  you  have  manifested 
toward  me  during  my  misfortunes.  I  am  indebted  to  you  for 
many  alleviations  of  the  sorrows  which  weighed  me  down.  I 
am  not  a  man  of  many  words  and  cannot  make  fine  phrases, 
but  here  in  my  soul  I  feel  fervently  that  God  has  placed  you 
at  my  side  as  an  angel  of  consolation  for  the  days  of  adversity, 
and  of  happiness  for  those  of  prosperity.  Because  I  love  you, 
I  gave  your  name  to  our  youngest  daughter,  born  here  at 
Konigsberg.  May  she  become  a  Louisa!" 

"  And  may  our  sous  inherit  the  noble  spirit  aiid  the  faith- 


468  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

ful  and  devout  heart  of  their  father ! "  exclaimed  the  queen, 
deeply  moved.  "  May  they  bear  adversity  like  him,  without 
despondency,  and  enjoy  prosperity  without  haughtiness !  Oh, 
my  friend,  why  will  we  say,  then,  that  we  are  returning  to 
Berlin  poorer  and  less  powerful  than  when  we  left  the  city 
three  years  ago  ?  No,  we  return  richer  and  more  powerful : 
for  we  left  with  five  children,  and  we  return  with  seven — 
seven  hearts  that  love  us,  and  belong  to  us.  Do  they  not 
constitute  wealth  and  power?  Come,  my  husband,  let  us 
hasten  to  our  children !  and  with  what  a  mother's  pride  shall 
I  show  our  treasures  to  the  good  people  of  Berlin ! "  She 
smiled  and  drew  the  king  along;  her  eyes,  from  which  the 
tears  had  long  since  disappeared,  were  now  radiant  with  love 
and  joy — not  a  shade  of  melancholy  was  to  be  seen  in  her 
countenance  when  she  embraced  her  children. 

The  journey  to  Berlin  could  be  performed  but  slowly  and  in 
short  stages.  The  snow-clad  roads  were  almost  impassable. 
Besides,  every  city  and  village  through  which  the  royal  family 
journeyed,  would  have  its  share  of  congratulation.  They 
were  greeted  with  triumphal  arches,  and  hymns  and  addresses 
of  welcome.  No  one  had  escaped  the  miseries  of  war ;  mourn- 
ing mothers  and  wives,  amid  the  ruins  of  a  former  prosperity, 
were  everywhere  to  be  seen ;  but  all  this  was  forgotten  during 
those  happy  hours  when  the  people,  delivered  at  length  from 
foreign  oppression,  rejoiced  again  in  the  presence  of  the 
sovereigns  who  had  endured  the  same  afflictions.  The  whole 
journey  resembled  a  triumphal  procession — everywhere  en- 
thusiastic receptions  and  love-offerings! 

On  the  eighth  day  at  noon  they  arrived  at  the  village  of 
Weissensee,  a  league  from  Berlin.  The  shouts  of  thousands 
of  happy  people  received  them.  The  whole  population  had 
gathered  at  the  roadside  in  order  to  greet  the  returning  king 
and  his  family,  and  at  the  entrance  of  the  village  were  halting 
fifty  young  citizens  of  Berlin  mounted  on  fine  horses.  They 
had  been  commissioned  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  capital  to 
escort  the  carriage  in  which  Louisa  was  to  make  her  entry, 
and  which  the  citizens  desired  to  present  to  her.  It  was  a 
splendid  gift,  richly  decorated  with  silver,  and  lined  with 
violet  velvet,  the  favorite  color  of  the  queen.  The  eight  mag- 
nificent horses  attached  to  the  carriage  wore  violet  harness, 
adorned  with  silver  rings  and  buckles.  The  queen  entered  it 
with  her  daughter  Charlotte  and  her  third  son,  Prince  Charles; 
the  king  and  the  two  oldest  princes  mounted  on  horseback. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  469 

"Now,  Louisa,"  said  the  king,  riding  up,  "we  have  nearly 
reached  our  destination.  There  are  the  spires  of  Berlin;  in 
half  an  hour  we  shall  be  there.  But  how  pale  you  are,  and 
your  lips  quiver  1  Are  you  unwell?  Are  you  suffering?" 

"No,"  she  said;  "I  live  only  in  my  heart,  which  is  throb- 
bing as  though  it  were  ready  to  burst.  Oh,  I  believe  that  one 
may  die  of  joy.  But  such  a  death  must  be  very  happy!" 

"  But  you  shall  live  in  joy,"  said  the  king,  smiling.  "  Fare- 
well now,  Louisa;  I  must  leave  you.  According  to  the  cere- 
monial, I  must  be  with  the  princes  at  the  head  of  the  proces- 
sion. Au  revoir  at  our  house  in  Berlin!" 

"  Au  revoir,"  said  the  queen,  leaning  back  on  the  cushions 
of  the  carriage.  "  Charlotte,"  she  said  to  the  princess  sitting 
at  her  side,  "  when  we  are  near  the  gate,  tell  me.  I  want  to 
be  surprised,  and,  until  I  have  reached  the  dear  city,  I  will 
look  at  the  sky,  and  remember  that  it  is  the  same  sky  that 
was  over  us  at  Memel  in  the  days  of  our  deepest  affliction." 
She  threw  back  her  head.  Her  eyes,  blue  and  pure  as  heaven 
itself,  were  looking  up,  and  the  bright  firmament  seemed  to 
inspire  her  with  devout  and  grateful  thoughts.  Prayers  were 
in  her  heart,  and  the  memories  of  other  days  mingled  with 
her  prayers.  It  was  exactly  sixteen  years  since  she  made  her 
entry  into  Berlin  as  a  happy  young  bride.  At  that  time,  life 
was  as  the  flowery  spring,  and  she  saw  before  her  in  her  hope- 
ful dreams  only  a  world  of  happiness,  love,  and  glory.  She 
was  then  a  bride,  beautiful,  loving,  and  beloved  by  her  young 
husband,  the  inheritor  of  a  kingdom.  Now,  at  her  second 
entry,  she  was  sixteen  years  older,  a  matron  of  thirty-four, 
and  a  mother  of  seven  children.  The  storms  of  life  had  passed 
over  her,  destroying  many  of  her  hopes.  Her  heart  had  been 
shaken  as  well  as  the  throne  of  her  husband.  The  ills  of 
common  mortals  had  befallen  the  king  and  his  consort,  and 
it  was  not  their  innate  dignity  and  majesty  that  had  enabled 
them  to  bear  up,  but  their  warm  human  feeling;  it  was  not 
their  self-reliance  that  had  consoled  them,  but  the  faith  that 
God,  the  Father  of  all,  would  be  merciful  to  them,  if,  con- 
scious of  their  impotence,  they  recognized  His  providence  and 
believed  in  His  wisdom  and  goodness. 

The  queen  thought  of  all  this,  and  compared  the  entry  of 
the  bride,  rejoicing  in  the  dreams  of  her  young  love  and  in 
the  reality  of  worldly  power,  with  the  entry  of  the  mother  and 
queen,  disappointed  in  her  hopes  and  robbed  of  her  dominion. 

"  And  yet  it  is  better  to-day,"  she  murmured,  "  I  am  richer 


470  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

now  than  I  was  then.     My  heart  is  richer,  my  soul  is  stronger, 

"  Mamma,"  exclaimed  the  Princess  Charlotte,  "  I  see  already 
the  Bernauer  gate!  Oh,  hear  the  shouts,  look  at  that  tri- 
umphal arch!" 

The  queen  turned  her  eyes  toward  the  city.  The  cheers  of 
the  people  sounded  in  her  ears  like  the  early  greetings  of  her 
happiness,  and  filled  her  soul  with  ecstasy.  As  the  king,  be- 
tween his  sons,  rode  into  the  gateway,  the  bells  rang,  and  the 
cannon  shook  the  ground.  "When  the  queen's  carriage  en- 
tered, the  soldiers  formed  in  line  on  both  sides  of  the  street, 
and  behind  them  surged  a  dense  crowd  of  men  and  women. 
Nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  happy,  smiling  faces ;  love  was 
beaming  from  every  eye,  and  with  bells,  cannon,  waving 
hands,  and  the  cheers  of  her  citizens,  Berlin  greeted  the  re- 
turn of  her  sovereigns. 

The  king  acknowledged  these  demonstrations  with  a  grave, 
thoughtful  face ;  he  saluted  the  people  affectionately,  but  his 
countenance  grew  sad.  He  thought  of  the  many  faithful  sub- 
jects whom  he  had  lost,  of  the  cities  and  provinces  which 
had  been  taken  from  him,  of  the  grievous  and  bloody  sacri- 
fices of  the  last  years ;  he  remembered  that  he  was  returning  to 
his  ancestors,  possessed  only  of  the  smaller  portion  of  the  in- 
heritance which  they  had  left  him,  and  these  reflections  over- 
shadowed his  joy. 

The  queen  only  felt  and  thought  of  the  happiness  of  her 
return.  These  thousands  of  hearts  throbbing  for  her,  this 
crowd  of  greeting  men  about  her  carriage  to  see  her  and  shout 
words  of  welcome,  filled  her  soul  with  profound  emotion. 
She  did  not  restrain  her  tears,  and  was  not  ashamed  of  this 
expression  of  her  feelings.  She  wept,  smiled,  and  rejoiced 
with  her  people. 

When  the  chee,rs  reechoed  through  the  street  as  she  passed, 
the  queen  exclaimed  aloud:  "  What  grateful  music  this  is! 
It  sounds  in  my  ears  as  sacred,  and  the  city  seems  a  vast 
cathedral!  Charlotte,  my  beloved  daughter,  listen!  but  with 
a  devout  hear-t.  There  is  hardly  any  thing  more  solemn  and 
yet  delightful  to  a  princess  than  the  cheers  of  her  subjects. 
She  who  deserves  them  must  return  the  people's  love,  and 
sympathize  in  their  joys  and  sufferings.  My  daughter,  if  you 
yourself  should  one  day  wear  a  crown,  think  of  this  hour,  and 
let  the  affection  of  the  people  now  occupy  your  heart. — But, 
my  child,  there  is  our  house,  the  dear  old  house  where  you 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  471 

children  were  born !  What  persons  are  standing  in  front  of 
it?  Who  are  they  waving  their  handkerchiefs  toward  us? 
The  beloved  sisters  of  your  father,  the  Princesses  of  Orange 
and  Hesse!  Who  is  that  tall  gentleman  at  their  side?  It  is 
my  father,  my  honored  father!"  The  carriage  drove  up  to 
the  portal  of  the  royal  palace.  "Welcome!"  cried  the  prin- 
cesses. "Welcome!"  shouted  the  crowd,  filling  the  large 
square  in  front. 

The  queen  did  not  utter  a  word ;  but,  stretching  out  her 
arms  toward  her  father,  she  greeted  him  with  a  smile,  while 
the  tears  rolled  over  her  cheeks. 

The  duke  pushed  the  footmen  aside  and  opened  himself  the 
door  of  her  carriage,  when  the  queen,  disregarding  all  eti- 
quette, threw  her  arms  round  his  neck,  and  kissed  him.  The 
people  who  witnessed  this  touching  scene,  became  silent. 
With  folded  hands  and  tearful  eyes  they  admired  her  who  had 
ever  been  an  affectionate  and  grateful  daughter  as  well  as  a 
beneficent  sovereign,  and  their  prayers  ascended  to  heaven  for 
her  welfare.  Half  carried  in  tlie  arms  of  her  father,  Louisa 
entered  the  palace,  and  ascended  the  staircase.  The  doors  of 
the  large  reception-room  were  open.  The  king  met  her;  her 
two  oldest  sons  stood  behind  him,  and  her  two  youngest  chil- 
dren, held  up  by  their  nurses,  stretched  out  their  little  arms 
toward  her.  She  joyfully  hastened  into  the  room.  "  Come, 
my  children,"  she  exclaimed  with  a  smile,  "come,  my  seven 
radiant  stars!" 

She  took  the  two  youngest  children,  Albert,  not  yet  three 
years,  and  Louisa,  one  year  old,  in  her  arms;  the  five  other 
children  walking  by  her  side,  and  thus,  in  the  midst  of  these 
"seven  stars,"  she  approached  her  father.  Bending  her  knee 
before  him,  she  exclaimed:  "Grandfather!  here  are  your 
grandchildren;  here  is  your  daughter,  who,  with  her  chil- 
dren, asks  for  your  blessing,  and  here  is  the  most  faithful  and 
beloved  man,  my  husband!  Oh,  father,  honor  him,  for  he 
has  preserved  to  your  daughter  her  happiness!"  She  placed 
the  two  youngest  ones  at  the  feet  of  the  duke,  and  took  the 
king's  hand,  which  she  pressed  to  her  bosom. 

The  king,  who  was  afraid  lest  this  excitement  should  be- 
come injurious  to  the  feeble  health  of  his  wife,  after  saluting 
the  duke  and  his  own  sisters  in  a  cordial  manner,  proposed  an 
inspection  of  the  rooms  of  their  so  long  deserted  house. 

"Yes!"  exclaimed  Louisa,  "let  us  show  my  beloved  lather 
the  temple  of  our  happiness;  and  the  good  spirits  around  us 


473  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

no  doubt  welcome  him  and  us.  Come !"  Walking  between  her 
father  and  her  husband,  and  followed  by  the  princesses  and 
her  oldest  sons,  the  queen  hastened  through  the  suite  of 
rooms,  hallowed  by  the  remembrances  of  other  days,  and 
which  now  seemed  to  her  as  beautiful  as  the  halls  of  a  fairy- 
palace.  "How  tasteful,  how  brilliant!"  exclaimed  Louisa. 
"  Formerly,  the  magnificence  of  these  rooms  did  not  strike  me 
at  all ;  but  now  I  am  able  to  perceive  and  appreciate  it.  Our 
houses  at  Memel  and  Konigsberg  were  much  plainer,  and  I 
thought  of  the  beauty  of  our  residence  at  Berlin. — Ah,  and 
there  is  my  piano!  Oh,  how  often  have  I  longed  for  it! 
Will  you  grant  me  a  favor,  my  king  and  husband?" 

"  The  queen  is  in  her  own  rooms;  she  has  to  ask  no  favors 
here,  but  only  to  command,"  said  the  king. 

"  You  will  then  permit  me  to  salute  the  good  spirits  of  our 
house  with  music,  and  to  sing  a  hymn  of  welcome  to  them?" 
asked  the  queen. 

The  king  smilingly  nodded,  and  Louisa,  hastening  to  the 
piano,  quickly  took  off  her  gloves,  and  sat  down  on  a  chair  in 
front  of  the  instrument.  Her  fingers  swept  over  the  keys  in 
many  brilliant  cadences.  Her  face  was  cheerful,  but  grad- 
ually she  became  grave,  and,  turning  her  large  eyes  toward 
heaven,  her  concords  were  slow  and  solemn.  She  thought  of 
the  past — of  the  day  when,  seized  with  forebodings,  she  sang 
here  a  hymn  which  she  repeated  at  the  peasant's  cottage  dur- 
ing her  flight  to  Konigsberg,  when  her  presentiments  were 
fulfilled.  Her  hands  played  almost  spontaneously  that  simple 
and  beautiful  air,  and  again  she  sang  with  emotion : 

"  Who  never  ate  his  bread  with  tears, 
Who  never  in  the  sorrowing  hours 
Of  night,  lay  sunk  in  gloomy  fears, 
He  knows  you  not,  ye  Heavenly  Powers  1 "  * 


CHAPTER    LIV. 

THE  EMPEROR  FRANCIS   AND   METTERNICH. 

THE  Emperor  Francis  was  pacing  his  cabinet  in  evident 
uneasiness  and  excitement.  Count  Clement  Metternich, 
since  Stadion's  withdrawal  from  the  cabinet,  prime  minister 

*  "  Wer  nie  sein  Brot  mit  Thr&nen  ass, 
Wer  niedie  kummervollen  Nachte 
Auf  seinem  Bette  weinend  sass, 
Der  kennt  Euch  iiicht,  Ihr  himmlischen  Machte  I " 


THE  EMPEROR  FRANCIS  AND  METTERNICH.         473 

and  confidential  adviser,  was  standing  at  the  emperor's  desk, 
and  whenever  Francis,  in  walking  up  and  down,  turned  his 
back  to  him,  a  scornful  smile  overspread  his  handsome  coun- 
tenance; this  manifestation  of  contempt  disappeared,  how- 
ever, as  soon  as  his  master  turned  again  toward  him. 

"It  will  stir  up  a  great  deal  of  ill-feeling  throughout  Ger- 
many," said  the  Emperor  Francis,  hastily.  "No  one  will 
believe  that  I,  who  was  hitherto  the  most  implacable  enemy 
of  Bonaparte,  should  have  suddenly  done  him  so  much  honor." 

"  But  at  last  every  one  will  have  to  believe  it,  your  majesty," 
said  Metternich,  in  his  gentle,  melodious  voice.  "  The  facts 
will  refute  the  surmises,  of  the  incredulous." 

"But  it  is  outrageous,"  cried  the  emperor,  "and  I  can 
hardly  think  it  possible  that  I  am  to  assist  Bonaparte  in  mak- 
ing a  decent  match,  and  that  I  am  to  stoop  so  low  as  to  call 
the  son  of  the  Cor  si  can  lawyer  my  son-in-law!  Let  me  tell 
you,  it  will  never  do;  I  should  ever  after  be  afraid  of  passing 
the  church  of  the  Capuchins;  I  should  always  imagine  that 
the  tombs  of  my  ancestors  opened,  and  their  ghosts  arose  and 
asked  me,  'How  could  you  permit  the  imperial  blood  of  the 
Hapsburgs  to  mingle  with  that  of  the  little  Corsican  lawyer's 
son,  the  irfsurgent  and  revolutionary  captain,  who  chances  to 
be  a  successful  warrior?'  Yes,  and  I  ask  myself  the  question, 
How  can  I  permit  an  archduchess,  my  daughter,  to  be  mar- 
ried to  a  man  seated  on  a  throne  which  does  not  belong  to 
him,  and  which  the  Bourbons,  the  legitimate  rulers  of  France, 
will  one  day  take  from  him?  How  can  I  permit  it,  I  ask, 
and  how  am  I  to  bear  it,  if  this  fellow  without  a  pedigree 
should  some  day  take  the  liberty  to  call  me  his  dear  father-in- 
law?  How  is  it  possible  for  me  to  expose  myself  to  such  risk?" 

"  Will  your  majesty  permit  me  to  answer  these  just  ques- 
tions of  your  imperial  conscience?"  asked  Metternich. 

"  Do  so,"  exclaimed  Francis.  "Explain  the  whole  matter 
to  me  as  though  I  were  not  the  emperor,  but  a  common  citi- 
zen offended  at  the  idea  that  the  Emperor  of  Austria  should 
permit  his  daughter  to  be  married  to  the  revolutionary  leader 
who  has  the  impudence  to  assume  the  imperial  title.  What 
would  you  say?  How  would  you  excuse  me?" 

Metternich  advanced  a  step  toward  the  emperor,  and  re- 
plied: "  I  would  say  the  Emperor  Francis  has  acted  as  a  wise 
statesman  and  ruler,  and  as  a  father  of  his  people.  In  order 
to  preserve  Austria  from  new  wars,  he  has  sacrificed  his  most 
precious  treasure,  his  only  child.  It  is  a  pledge  securing 


474  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

peace  to  his  exhausted  people.  Austria  is  not  now  able  to  resist 
Napoleon  in  case  he  should  again  attack  her.  Our  frontiers 
are  defenceless;  our  finances  are  exhausted.  Hitherto  every 
war  has  caused  us  grievous  losses  in  money,  men,  and  territory ; 
and  so  long  as  we  stand  alone,  so  long  as  Eussia  persists  in 
her  absurd  policy  of  being  the  cat's-paw  of  France,  it  would 
be  senseless  and  criminal  again  to  endanger  the  existence  of 
the  monarchy.  We  have  suffered  such  immense  losses,  that 
we  must  have  peace  to  recover  what  we  have  lost.  Hence  we 
must  be  reconciled  with  France,  and  this  reconciliation 
strengthens  us  against  Kussia.  The  very  fact  that  Napoleon 
desires  to  conclude  an  alliance  with  Austria  indicates  a  change 
in  his  political  system,  by  which  we  should  try  to  profit,  and 
if  (what  is  unavoidable)  a  rupture  with  Kussia  ensues,  Austria 
ought  to  derive  as  much  benefit  therefrom  as  possible,  and 
enlarge  her  territories.  We  ought  to  render  our  present 
position  toward  France  as  profitable  as  possible.  The  arch- 
duchess will  be  a  precious  guaranty  to  Napoleon,  for  he  will 
feel  convinced  that  the  emperor  will  be  unwilling  to  sacrifice 
his  child,  and  this  conviction  will  fill  him  with  confidence 
and  a  feeling  of  security.  Austria  becomes  closely  connected 
with  the  political  interests  of  Napoleon,  andv  shares  the 
hatred  which  all  Europe  feels  against  the  Emperor  of  the 
French.  But  this  very  hatred  incurred  by  Austria  will  be 
regarded  by  Napoleon  as  another  surety  for  his  fidelity.  He 
will  ally  himself  more  closely  with  us,  and  become  more  hos- 
tile to  Russia,  the  natural  enemy  of  Austria;  hence  it  is  bet- 
ter for  us  to  fight  in  company  with  France  against  Russia 
than  to  allow  Russia  and  France  to  fight  against  us.  More- 
over, our  finances  are  in  such  a  deplorable  condition,  that  a 
bankruptcy  of  the  state  would  be  the  inevitable  consequence 
of  another  war;  not  only  the  future  of  the  emperor's  dynasty, 
but  the  fortunes  of  his  subjects  would  be  endangered.  In 
consideration  of  this,  the  emperor,  in  his  wisdom,  has  pre- 
ferred to  secure  peace,  the  source  of  prosperity,  to  his  beloved 
subjects,  and,  like  the  patriarch,  he  sacrifices  his  own  child 
willingly  and  joyously.  The  noble  emperor  ought  to  be 
blessed  and  praised  for  this,  and  his  wisdom,  which  despises 
prejudice,  and  only  weighs  and  respects  the  benefits  to  be 
secured  by  such  a  measure,  should  be  gratefully  acknowledged. 
That,  sire,"  said  Metternich,  concluding  his  speech,  "is  what 
I  would  reply  to  him  who  would  dare  in  my  presence  censure 
the  marriage  of  the  archduchess  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon." 


THE  EMPEROR  FRANCIS  AND  METTERNICH.        475 

"It  sounds  well  enough,"  said  the  emperor,  thoughtfully, 
"  but  it  is  still  an  unpalatable  dish  for  me,  and  my  tongue 
will  cling  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth  when  I  am  to  say,  'My 
son-in-law  the  Emperor  Napoleon!'  He  is  no  real  emperor, 
although  he  has  placed  three  crowns  on  his  head,  and  even 
had  the  impudence  of  dividing  my  order  of  the  Golden  Fleece, 
contrary  to  law,  into  three  classes;  he  can  never  become  a 
real  emperor;  he  must  always  remain  the  son  of  a  Corsican 
lawyer." 

"  Whom  the  pope,  however,  has  anointed  and  crowned  em- 
peror," said  Metternich,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Yes,  and,  in  return,  this  ungrateful  fellow  has  deprived 
the  holy  father  of  his  throne,  and  imprisoned  him !  In  short, 
I  detest  the  usurper.  It  always  deeply  pained  me  to  hear  of 
Bonaparte  and  his  new  victories ;  and  since  I  saw  him  on  that 
day  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  he  is  more  hateful  to  me 
than  ever.  Oh,  how  superciliously  this  fellow  then  looked  at 
me!  He  talked  to  me  so  haughtily  that  I  felt  quite  miser- 
able, and  did  not  know  what  to  say.  I  shall  never  forgive  M. 
Bonaparte,  and  yet  I  am  to  allow  him  to  become  my  son-in- 
law!  I  tell  you,  Metternich,  it  will  not  do,  for  the  end  will 
be  bad." 

"  But  the  commencement,"  said  Metternich,  smiling,  "  will 
be  good  for  Austria,  and  that  is  the  chief  point.  We  shall 
take  care  that  the  end  will  not  be  bad  for  us  either,  and  that 
Austria  will  not  be  the  loser  by  it." 

"  It  is  all  right,"  said  Francis,  nodding,  "  but  the  mischief 
is,  that  when  the  unhappy  time  comes,  M.  Bonaparte  will  be 
my  son-in-law,  and  that  it  may  be  necessary  for  me  to  support 
him  and  his  cause." 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Metternich,  in  a  low  voice,  and 
glancing  cautiously  over  the  room,  "  if  you  do  not  now  hesi- 
tate to  sacrifice  your  own  child  for  the  welfare  of  your  coun- 
try, at  a  later  time  you  will  not  shrink  from  sacrificing  your 
son-in-law.  There  are  no  relatives  in  politics;  Austria  has 
no  sisters  and  brothers,  no  daughters  and  sons-in-law;  that  is 
what  the  august  uncle  of  your  majesty,  the  Emperor  Joseph, 
often  said,  and  he  Was  right." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  my  great  uncle  Joseph  was  right,"  exclaimed 
the  emperor,  laughing;  "there  are  no  sons-in-law  in  politics! 
Oh,  it  would  do  my  heart  good  if  I  could  revenge  myself  on« 
day  on  M.  Bonaparte  for  all  tke  humiliations  that  I  have  to 
bear  now." 


476  NAPOLEON  AND  QT}EEN  LOUISA. 

"Your  majesty,"  said  Metternich,  in  a  lower  voice  than 
before,  "  there  is  an  excellent  Italian  proverb,  'Eevenge  must 
be  eaten  cold.'  Your  majesty  knows  it?" 

"Of  course  I  do,"  whispered  the  emperor.  "I  know  it, 
and  shall  surely  remember  it.  'Eevenge  must  be  eaten  cold;' 
lie  who  wants  to  eat  it  hot,  will  burn  his  tongue.  Let  us 
wait,  therefore." 

"Yes,  let  us  wait,"  whispered  Metternich.  He  then  added 
in  a  loud  voice:  "  Your  majesty,  then,  will  graciously  accept 
the  proposals  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  as  to  his  union  with 
the  archduchess,  order  the  marriage  contracts  to  be  made  out, 
and  permit  the  Prince  de  Neufchatel,  Marshal  Berthier,  to 
apply  to  your  majesty  and  the  archduchess  for  the  hand  of 
the  imperial  princess?" 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  Francis,  hesitatingly,  "but  let  me  tell 
you,  I  am  afraid  of  what  the  empress,  my  consort,  will  say 
about  the  matter,  and  also  of  Maria  Louisa  herself.  The 
empress  never  liked  Bonaparte,  and  I  do  not  know  how  I  shall 
break  the  news  to  her,  that  the  man  for  whose  sake,  but  a  few 
months  since,  so  much  Austrian  blood  was  shed,  and  to  whom 
I  had  to  sacrifice  the  brave  Tyrolese,  Andrew  Hofer,  is  to  be- 
come my  son-in-law.  And  Maria  Louisa  will  be  greatly 
surprised ;  I  am  afraid  she  will  weep  a  good  deal  on  hearing 
the  news." 

"  I  believe  the  archduchess  will  cheerfully  submit  to  her 
fate,"  said  Metternich.  "I  heard  her  imperial  highness 
speak  in  terms  of  intense  admiration  of  the  heroism  and  mar- 
vellous deeds  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon." 

"Yes,  she  did,"  replied  Erancis,  "but  I  commanded  her 
not  to  give  expression  to  such  sentiments.  I  explained  to  her 
how  much  misery  and  ignominy  Bonaparte  had  brought  upon 
Austria  and  our  house,  and  what  a  cruel,  tyrannical,  and 
bloodthirsty  man  he  is;  and  my  words  made  so  deep  an  im- 
pression on  the  mind  of  my  dutiful  daughter,  that  she  has 
detested  Bonaparte  ever  since,  and  is  afraid  of  him,  as  though 
he  were  a  monster." 

"  Perhaps,  if  your  majesty  were  to  tell  the  archduchess  that 
the  Emperor  Napoleon  is  not  so  bad  after  all,"  said  Metter- 
nich, smiling — "  if  you  were  to  assure  her  imperial  highness 
that  he  is  a  very  great  and  admirable  man,  and  that  his  lau- 
rels are  as  good  as  a  long  line  of  ancestors,  the  words  of  your 
majesty  would  not  fail  to  impress  themselves  on  her  mind,  and 
her  hatred  would  disappear,  particularly  if  you  should  show 


THE  EMPEROR  FRANCIS  AND  METTERNICH.        47? 

her  a  correct  likeness  of  the  emperor,  for  care  has  been 
hitherto  taken  to  exhibit  to  the  imperial  princes  and  prin- 
cesses only  those  representations  of  Napoleon  in  which  he  is 
horribly  caricatured.  I  know  that  the  mistress  of  ceremonies 
of  the  archduchess,  Countess  Colloredo,  in  her  passionate 
hatred  against  him,  and  against  France  generally,  tried  this 
remedy  to  cure  the  imperial  princess  of  her  admiration  for 
the  conqueror,  and  the  archduchess  sees,  hears,  and  reads  noth- 
ing but  what  has  been  previously  examined  by  the  countess. 
I  repeat,  that  if  your  majesty  could  have  a  really  correct  like- 
ness of  Napoleon  brought  to  the  young  lady's  notice,  her 
ideas  of  him  would  be  somewhat  changed." 

"But  I  have  no  good  likeness  of  Bonaparte,"  said  the  em- 
peror, somewhat  embarrassed. 

"  Marshal  Berthier  brought  one,  which  he  is  to  present  to 
the  archduchess  on  solemnly  applying  for  her  hand.  It  is 
very  costly  and  correct.  The  frame  consists  of  twenty  very 
large  diamonds,  for  which  one  might  buy  a  whole  principality. 
I  requested  the  marshal  to  let  me  have  it  an  hour,  when  he 
permitted  me  to  see  it  during  the  visit  I  paid  to  him.  I  told 
him  frankly  I  wished  to  take  it  to  the  emperor,  who  would 
show  it  to  the  archduchess,  that  she  might  have  some  notion 
of  the  real  emperor,  and  receive  his  suit.  The  marshal 
granted  my  request,  and  intrusted  the  miniature  to  me. " 

"Did  you  bring  it  with  you?" 

"I  did,  your  majesty.  Here  it  is."  Metternich  drew  a 
morocco  case  from  his  bosom  and  handed  it  to  the  emperor. 

Francis  opened  it  hastily,  and  contemplated  the  precious 
locket  a  good  while.  "  These  are  splendid  diamonds,  indeed," 
he  said,  "and  I  am  convinced  Bonaparte  did  not  inherit  them 
of  his  father.  Not  the  slightest  blemish,  not  a  single  imper- 
fection in  them;  I  believe  I  have  no  more  beautiful  diamonds 
in  my  crown!" 

"And  the  resemblance?"  asked  Metternich.  "Docs  not 
your  majesty  think  that  it  is  excellent?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  exclaimed  Francis,  laughing.  "I  had  almost 
forgotten  that,  in  admiring  the  precious  stones.  Yes,  it  is  a 
good  likeness;  he  looks  precisely  like  that,  but  you  must 
admit  it  is  a  revolting  face,  looking  as  though  there  were  but 
one  man  in  the  world,  and  he  were  that  man." 

"  But  the  expression  of  so  much  haughtiness  impresses  the 
ladies  very  favorably,"  said  Metternich.  "  They  like  the  man 
who  loves  to  consider  himself  a  god,  and  he  is  one  in  their 
U — MUHLBACU  TOL.  10 


478  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

eyes.  I  really  believe  it  would  be  a  good  idea  for  your  majesty 
to  show  this  to  the  archduchess,  and  tell  her  afterward  that 
it  is  the  likeness  of  her  future  husband.  If  your  majesty  has 
no  objection,  I  will,  in  the  mean  time,  request  an  audience 
of  the  Empress  Ludovica,  and  try  to  convince  her  majesty  of 
the  necessity  of  this  marriage." 

"Do  so,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  joyously,  "it  will  be  very 
agreeable  to  me,  and  as  soon  as  possible.  In  the  mean  time  I 
will  go  to  the  archduchess,  show  her  the  miniature,  and  tell 
her  plainly  that  it  is  that  of  her  future  husband.  It  is  better 
to  tell  her  so  without  circumlocution.  The  princess  will  not 
dare  to  oppose  my  wishes;  she  knows  that  it  is  the  duty  of  an 
obedient  daughter  to  accept  the  husband  her  father  has 
selected  for  her.  Go  to  the  empress,  Metternich ;  I  shall  go 
to  the  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa." 


CHAPTER    LV. 

THE   ARCHDUCHESS   MARIA   LOUISA. 

THE  imperial  princes  and  princesses  had  just  dined  to- 
gether, as  had  been  their  custom  since  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Joseph,  and  were  still  in  the  large  dining-hall, 
which  was  also  the  play-room  of  the  imperial  children.  The 
Emperor  Francis,  who  had  recently  married  his  fourth  wife, 
had  children  by  his  second  marriage  only,  but  numerous 
enough  to  secure  the  continued  existence  of  the  dynasty,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  furnish  beautiful  princesses  to  other  sover- 
eign houses.  Of  these  five  daughters  and  two  sons,  Maria 
Louisa,  who  was  seventeen  years  old,  was  the  eldest.  But 
though  a  grown  young  lady,  she  liked  to  be  together  with  her 
younger  brothers  and  sisters,  and  remained  sometimes  with 
them  after  dinner,  in  order  to  participate  in  their  merry  play 
and  conversation.  On  this  occasion,  instead  of  returning 
with  the  mistress  of  ceremonies  to  her  room,  she  remained 
with  her  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  dining-hall.  While  the 
younger  princes  and  princesses  were  engaged  in  playing  round 
a  large  table,  the  two  oldest,  the  archduchesses  Maria  Louisa 
and  Leopoldine,  retired  into  one  of  the  bay-windows  to  con- 
verse without  being  disturbed. 

It  was  a  charming  sight — those  two  young  ladies  standing 
in  the  niche,  surrounded  by  curtains  as  in  a  frame,  and  whose 


THE  ARCHDUCHESS  MARIA  LOUISA.  479 

beauty  seemed  to  have  caught  a  celestial  radiance  from  the 
light  beaming  through  the  windows.  Both  were  in  the  morn- 
ing of  their  age,  but  Maria  Louisa,  the  older  sister,  was  even 
more  attractive  than  Leopoldine.  Thick  ringlets  of  light- 
brown  hair  floated  around  her  forehead.  She  had  large  azure 
eyes,  telling  of  her  happiness  and  the  kindly  emotions  of  her 
soul.  Her  finely-cut  nose  gave  an  aristocratic  expression  to 
her  countenance,  while  her  crimson  lips,  in  their  voluptuous 
fulness,  contrasted  not  unfavorably  with  the  remarkable  re- 
finement of  the  rest  of  her  features.  An  enchanting  smile 
played  about  her  mouth,  and  spoke  of  her  noble  simplicity 
and  innocence. 

She  encircled  the  neck  of  her  younger  sister  with  her  arms, 
and  was  gazing  at  her  with  a  tender  expression.  "  Ah,  Leo- 
poldine," she  said  to  her  in  a  sweet  voice,  "  how  happy  I  am 
that  we  are  at  length  together  again!  When  I  remained  here 
ill  and  alone,  and  the  enemy  was  besieging  our  capital,  I  was 
always  thinking  of  none  but  you,  and  yearned  to  be  again 
with  you.  But  when  the  shells  struck  our  palace,  I  thanked 
Heaven  that  you  were  not  here,  and  had  not  to  undergo  the 
fear  and  anguish  which  I  was  enduring.  When  this  Bona- 
parte arrived,  I  was  suffering  of  the  scarlet  fever,  but  the  ter- 
ror brought  on  an  attack  of  intermittent  fever.  I  shall 
never  forgive  him.  But,  thank  God,  these  evil  times  are 
over!  Now  we  need  not  be  afraid  of  being  expelled  again 
from  the  palace  of  our  ancestors  by  this  bad  man,  and  of  see- 
ing our  dear  Schonbrunn  degraded  by  the  presence  of  his 
marshals.  Now  we  can  live  happily  and  delightfully  in  un- 
disturbed tranquillity." 

"  Yes,  we  can,"  said  the  Archduchess  Leopoldine,  smiling. 
"  But  do  you  not  think,  sister,  that  our  life  is  indescribably 
monotonous  and  tedious  at  the  present  time?  Our  third 
mother,  the  Empress  Ludovica,  is  certainly  a  very  amiable, 
virtuous,  and  pious  lady,  but  she  really  believes  us  still  to  be 
small  children,  who  ought  to  remain  in  the  nursery,  and  it 
does  not  occur  to  her  that  amusements  are  sometimes  neces- 
sary for  young  princesses  of  our  age.  We  have  passed  the 
whole  winter  in  an  intolerably  quiet  and  wearisome  manner; 
we  are  already  in  the  latter  part  of  February,  and  have  not 
had  a  single  ball  at  court.  Ah,  Louisa,  it  is,  after  all,  not  so 
very  pleasant  to  be  a  princess.  Other  girls  of  our  age  are  at 
liberty  to  indulge  in  a  little  pleasure,  to  attend  balls,  concerts, 
and  parties,  where  they  see  new  faces  and  interesting  persons. 


480  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

We  are  forbidden  all  this.  We  must  wait  until  diversion 
comes  to  us,  and  unfortunately  we  are  not  thought  of  at  all! 
We  are  never  allowed  to  pay  visits  or  accept  invitations.  A 
formal  court  ball,  where  we  may  appear  for  a  few  hours,  and 
dance  with  the  most  aristocratic  cavaliers,  is  our  only  amuse- 
ment, and  at  present  we  are  deprived  of  that.  We  are  guarded 
in  our  apartments  like  prisoners." 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,"  sighed  Maria  Louisa,  "  and  we  have  a  very 
rigorous  jailer  in  the  Countess  of  Colloredo.  Do  you  know, 
Leopoldine,  that  I  have  had  a  violent  scene  with  the  mistress 
of  ceremonies  to-day?" 

"Ah,  I  am  glad  of  it,"  exclaimed  Leopoldine,  laughing. 
"  What  was  the  matter?" 

"  I  wanted  to  read,  and  requested  the  mistress  of  ceremo- 
nies to  give  me  new  books.  She  deferred  it  until  to-day  and 
brought  me  then  one  of  the  works  I  had  asked  for,  'the  Maid 
of  Orleans,'  by  Schiller,  but  it  was  mutilated  and  disfigured 
like  all  books  that  are  given  to  us.  Whole  pages  had  been 
cut  out,  and  on  those  remaining  were  to  be  found  black  spots 
rendering  whole  lines  and  words  illegible — a  liberty  which  the 
mistress  of  ceremonies  is  in  the  habit  of  indulging  in,  in 
reference  to  all  the  books  we  read." 

"Yes,  it  is  true,"  sighed  the  younger  archduchess,  "we 
cannot  read  a  single  good  book  from  beginning  to  end ;  and 
we  are  thus  deprived  of  much  pleasure.  What  did  you  do, 
dear  sister?" 

"  I  cast  the  book  aside  with  horror,  and  requested  her  to  let 
me  have  the  latest  newspapers.  She  brought  them  to  me,  but 
everywhere  the  same  foul  marks;  not  only  all  the  news  from 
France,  but  even  the  local  Vienna  items  were  almost  illegible 
to-day;  lines  had  been  cut  out,  words  erased,  and  half  a  col- 
umn had  entirely  disappeared.  I  was  almost  beside  myself  at 
this  treatment.  I  returned  the  papers  and  said,  'Madame, 
this  is  doubtless  a  mistake.  I  am  sure  these  papers  were  in- 
tended for  the  nursery,  that  the  little  archduchesses  might 
learn  to  spell;  as  for  myself,  I  can  both  spell  and  read,  and  I 
request  you,  therefore,  to  give  me  legible  books  and  news- 
papers. ' " 

"Oh,"  exclaimed  Leopoldine,  merrily  clapping  her  hands, 
"that  was  glorious!  You  acted  like  a  heroine,  my  dear 
sister!" 

Maria  Louisa  smiled  and  added,  "  'Madame,'  I  went  on  to 
say,  '  I  cannot  bear  any  longer  this  system  of  surveillance.  It 


THE  ARCHDUCHESS  MARIA  LOUISA.  481 

is  insulting  and  repugnant  to  me  to  be  treated  like  a  child, 
and  considered  so  weakmiuded  as  to  be  forbidden  books  which 
thousands  of  girls  of  my  age  are  allowed  to  read.  Or  do  you 
want  to  make  me  believe  that  all  books  and  newspapers  come 
to  Austria  in  this  mutilated  condition?  Oh,  I  know  full 
well  that  the  people  would  not  submit  to  such  a  system  of 
tyranny,  and  that,  in  case  such  eilorts  should  be  made  to  de- 
prive them  of  their  mental  food,  assuredly  a  revolution  would 
break  out,  as  in  France  at  the  time  when  my  unfortunate 
aunt,  Marie  Antoinette,  was  on  the  throne.'  ' 

"Did  you  say  so?"  asked  Leopoldine,  in  surprise.  "But 
where  did  you  find  the  courage  and  the  words?" 

"  I  must  avow  to  you  that  I  had  reflected  about  the  matter 
for  three  days,  and  drawn  up,  and  learned  by  heart,  this  little 
speech  in  order  to  address  it  to  the  mistress  of  ceremonies  at 
the  first  opportunity.  I  am  really  tired  of  being  treated  so 
childishly,  when  I  am  a  woman,  and  may  expect  soon  to  be 
married." 

"  Ah,  married  !"  sighed  Leopoldine.  "  Who  knows  to  what 
dreadful  princes  we  may  be  married?  For,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  we  shall  not  be  asked  whether  we  like  the  match  or 
not,  and  we  shall  not  be  as  well  off  as  the  daughters  of  com- 
mon citizens,  who,  as  my  maid  told  me,  marry  only  those 
whom  they  love.  We  princesses  must  marry  men  w;hom  we 
have  never  seen,  with  whom  we  exchange  the  first  word  only 
after  our  marriage,  and  whom  perhaps  we  may  not  like  at 
all." 

"No  matter,  our  marriage  makes  us  free,"  exclaimed  Maria 
Louisa,  impatiently.  "  We  are  then  at  least  our  own  mis- 
tresses, and  need  submit  no  longer  to  the  restraints  imposed  on 
us.  The  example  of  our  third  mother,  the  Empress  Ludo- 
vica,  shows  it.  She  has  taken  the  liberty  to  pay  110  attention 
to  etiquette,  and  holds  a  reception  at  her  rooms  every  night 
from  eight  to  ten  o'clock,  when  she  does  not  admit  the  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  the  court,  but  invited  persons,  among  whom 
there  are  frequently  those  who  do  not  even  belong  to  the 
aristocracy." 

"  She  does  not  invite  us  to  the  evening  parties,"  exclaimed 
Leopoldine,  sneeringly.  "  Maybe  we  are  too  aristocratic  for 
her.  But  you  are  right,  Louisa — as  soon  as  we  are  married, 
we  shall  also  have  the  right  to  change  rules  of  etiquette  and 
live  as  we  please." 

"  Do  you  know  the  first  thing  I  am  going  to  do  after  my 


483  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

marriage?"  asked  Maria  Louisa,  quickly.  "I  shall  buy  all 
the  books  that  I  have  now,  and  peruse  the  cut-out  and  illegi- 
ble passages.  I  am  sure  they  are  the  most  interesting  and 
beautiful  in  the  books,  and  I  believe  they  all  treat  of  love. 
Ah,  Leopoldine,  I  should  like  to  read  for  once  a  work  con- 
taining a  very  romantic  love-story,  and  over  which  one  might 
dream.  But,  good  Heaven !  what  makes  the  children  shout 
so  merrily?  Come,  let  us  see  what  they  are  doing." 

"Come,  let  us  play  with  them,"  exclaimed  Leopoldine. 

The  princesses  stepped  arm  in  arm  from  the  bay -window 
and  hastened  to  the  table.  The  little  archduchesses  and  their 
brothers,  it  seemed,  were  engaged  in  a  highly-interesting 
game,  which  their  governesses  were  witnessing  with  smiling 
attention.  They  were  standing  about  the  large  round  table, 
on  which  a  small  army  of  wax  figures  in  green  and  blue  uni- 
forms had  been  placed  in  neatly-arranged  rows.  At  the  head 
of  this  army  stood  a  somewhat  larger  figure  of  the  most  re- 
volting appearance.  It  was  a  little  fellow  with  hunched 
shoulders,  a  rotund  stomach  and  an  unnaturally  large  head. 
The  face  was  of  a  black-and-green  color,  and  had  eyes  of  a 
ferocious  expression,  and  a  tremendous  mouth  without  lips, 
showing  rows  of  ugly  yellow  teeth.  This  figure  was  dressed 
in  a  green  uniform,  with  broad  white  facings,  and  on  his  head 
was  a  little  cocked  hat.  Opposite  this  army  of  wax  figures  a 
row  of  small  brass  cannon  was  placed,  and  at  their  side  lay 
diminutive  bows,  and  arrows  furnished  with  pins.  The  am- 
munition-wagons were  filled  with  black  peas. 

The  game  had  just  commenced.  The  imperial  children  had 
opened  the  campaign  against  the  hostile  army  of  wax-figures. 
The  little  Archdukes  Ferdinand  and  Francis  Charles  stood  as 
gunners  at  the  field-pieces,  while  the  Archduchesses  Caroline, 
Clementine,  and  Amelia,  were  armed  with  small  bows.  The 
gunners  fired  at  the  ranks  of  the  soldiers;  the  archduchesses 
aimed  at  the  terrible  captain  of  the  little  army.  Whenever 
an  arrow  hit  him,  or  a  cannon-ball  struck  down  one  of  the 
soldiers,  the  children  burst  into  loud  cheers. 

"  What  game  is  this?"  asked  Maria  Louisa,  contemplating 
with  evident  delight  the  blushing  cheeks  and  bright  eyes  of 
her  young  brothers  and  sisters. 

"That  is  the  Bonaparte  game,"  exclaimed  little  Archduke 
Francis  Charles.  "  Papa  emperor  presented  the  game  to  me 
when  we  were  at  Ofen,  and  taught  me  how  to  play  it.  It  is 
a  long  while  since  we  played  it,  but  to-day  we  will  try  it  again. 


THE  ARCHDUCHESS  MARIA  LOUISA.  483 

Look,  sister  Louisa,  that  horrible  fellow  in  front  of  the  sol- 
diers is  the  villain  Bonaparte,  who  is  stealing  the  states  of  all 
the  princes.  lie  is  made  entirely  of  brass,  and  no  arrow  can 
injure  him,  but  he  has  a  vulnerable  spot  on  the  breast,  where 
the  heart  is,  that  is  made  of  wax.  On  shooting  at  him,  you 
always  have  to  aim  there;  if  you  hit  it,  the  arrow  remains, 
and  you  win  the  game  and  obtain  the  reward.  Oh,  I  am  well 
versed  in  the  Bonaparte  game;  papa  emperor  was  so  gracious 
as  to  play  it  often  with  me  at  Ofen,  when  we  were  fleeing 
from  that  man;  and  his  majesty  taught  me  also  how  to  insult 
Bonaparte.  See,  sisters!"  and  he  took  the  little  bow  from 
the  hands  of  the  Archduchess  Marianne,  and  laid  an  arrow  on 
the  string.  "Now,  you  miserable  fellow,"  he  shouted  in  an 
angry  voice  and  with  flashing  eyes,  "now  I  will  kill  you  with- 
out mercy!  You  thief,  you  stole  Venice  and  Milan  from  us 
— you  must  die!"  He  discharged  the  arrow,  but  it  glanced 
off  from  the  figure. 

"You  missed  him!  you  missed  him!"  shouted  the  little 
group. 

"It  is  my  turn  now,"  exclaimed  the  little  archduchess, 
taking  the  bow  from  her  brother.  She  put  an  arrow  on  it, 
and,  contracting  her  eyebrows  and  making  her  laughing  little 
face  assume  an  angry  and  menacing  air,  shouted,  "  Now  trem- 
ble, you  bad  man!  for  I  will  put  you  to  death  because  you 
drove  us  twice  from  Vienna,  and  frightened  us  so  badly  that 
you  compelled  us  to  escape,  while  you  were  enjoying  yourself 
in  our  fine  palaces.  Yes,  I  will  kill  you,  because  you  shot  our 
soldiers  and  took  our  cannon.  You  are  a  wretch,  a  miserable 
thief,  and  I  will  now  shoot  you  that  you  may  no  longer  mur- 
der our  men  and  expel  our  princes,  you  robber  and  assassin!" 
She  discharged  her  arrow,  but  with  no  better  success  than  the 
little  archduke,  and  the  laughter  of  her  brothers  and  sisters 
punished  her  for  her  lack  of  skill. 

"Why,  this  is  a  very  pretty  game,"  exclaimed  the  Arch- 
duchess Maria  Louisa,  laughing.  "Come,  Leopoldine,  let  us 
try  it,  and  see  whether  we  are  able  to  hit  the  monster."  The 
princesses  sat  down  laughingly  between  the  little  archdukes, 
and  each  took  one  of  the  bows. 

"Pray  let  me  shoot  first,  dear  sister,"  exclaimed  Leopol- 
dine, eagerly.  "  Look,  my  arrow  lies  already  on  the  string. 
Now  I  will  aim  at  you,  miserable  Bonaparte,  and  take  revenge 
for  all  the  sufferings  you  have  brought  upon  us.  Your  last 
hour  has  come;  fold  your  hands  and  pray,  if  you  can.  But 


484  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

you  cannot  pray,  for  you  have  a  conscience  burdened  with 
crimes;  you  have  sinned  grievously  against  God  by  insulting 
and  imprisoning  His  representative  on  earth.  The  Holy 
Father  has  excommunicated  you  for  this,  and  you  are  ac- 
cursed, delivered  over  to  the  tortures  of  hell,  and  every  honest 
Christian  turns  away  from  the  wretch  against  whom  the  bolt 
of  excommunication  has  been  hurled.  You  must  die  without 
confession  and  absolution — in  the  midst  of  your  sins."  She 
discharged  the  arrow,  but,  like  those  of  her  little  brother 
and  sister,  it  glanced  from  the  figure  and  dropped  at  its 
feet. 

The  little  archduchesses  and  princes,  who,  on  hearing  the 
imprecations  uttered  by  their  sister,  had  assumed  a  very  grave 
air,  felt  as  though  they  had  been  relieved  of  an  oppressive 
burden,  and  burst  into  loud  laughter. 

"It  is  my  turn  now!"  exclaimed  Maria  Louisa.  She  took 
the  bow  and  fixed  her  blue  eyes  with  an  expression  of  pro- 
found contempt  on  the  repulsive  figure.  "  You  must  die — 
ay,  die!"  she  said,  gravely.  "Bonaparte,  I  will  deliver  the 
world  from  you,  for  you  are  as  insatiable  as  the  Minotaur, 
that  required  every  day  a  human  victim  for  breakfast.  You 
devour  men  and  countries,  and  the  wails  of  whole  nations  are 
music  to  your  ears.  You  must  die,  also,  because  you  look  so 
horrible !  God  has  marked  you,  and  given  you  a  monstrous 
body,  because  your  soul  is  that  of  a  monster.  I  will  kill  you, 
therefore,  that  you  may  no  longer  frighten  mankind!"  She 
put  the  arrow  on  the  string  and  shot. 

A  loud  shout  resounded.  The  arrow  remained  in  the  figure. 
Maria  Louisa  had  hit  Bonaparte. 

"  Hurrah,  the  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa  has  killed  Bona- 
parte!" cried  the  little  ones.  "The  monster  is  dead!  The 
robber  lives  no  more!  The  wretch  and  villain!" 

"  Why,  what  is  going  on  here?  Whom  are  you  abusing  so 
shockingly?"  asked  a  voice  behind  them,  and  the  children, 
turning  around,  saw  their  father,  the  Emperor  Francis,  who 
had  entered  unnoticed  by  them. 

"  We  are  abusing  the  malicious  robber,  papa  emperor,"  ex- 
claimed the  Archduchess  Marianne,  pointing  at  the  figure. 

"  Your  majesty,  dear  papa  emperor,"  exclaimed  little  Fran- 
cis Charles,  eagerly — "  only  think  of  it,  Maria  Louisa  has  hit 
the  heart  of  Bonaparte.  The  monster  is  dead ;  he  is  unable 
now  to  steal  any  thing  more  from  us!" 

"  Sancta  Maria!"  cried  the  emperor,  "  how  can  you  use  such 


THE  ARCHDUCHESS  MARIA  LOUISA.  485 

language,  my  son?  How  can  you  utter  such  disrespectful 
epithets  about  the  illustrious  Emperor  Napoleon?" 

The  boy  looked  at  his  father  in  dismay.  "  Your  majesty," 
he  said,  timidly,  "  you  yourself  told  me  Napoleon  could  not 
be  abused  enough,  and  a  genuine  Hapsburg  ought  to  execrate 
the  infamous  robber.'  Those  were  your  majesty's  own  words, 
papa!" 

"Oh,  I  was  only  joking,"  exclaimed  the  emperor,  angrily, 
"  and  a  clever  prince,  like  you,  ought  to  have  noticed  it  at 
once.  But  I  am  talking  in  earnest  now,  and  forbid  you  play- 
ing this  stupid  game  any  more,  or  uttering  another  word 
against  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  He  is  a  very  illustrious,  and 
moreover  'an  excellent  man — a  very  great  emperor — whom 
every  one  loves  and  praises." 

"Papa  emperor,"  cried  the  Archduke  Francis  Charles, 
wonderingly,  "  but  your  majesty  told  me  at  Ofen  that  every 
one  was  abhorring  Bonaparte,  and — " 

"You  are  a  pert  little  fool!"  replied  the  emperor,  vehe- 
mently. "  What  I  said  then  has  no  sense  now.  For  at  that 
time  we  were  at  war,  and  Napoleon  was  our  enemy.  But  now 
we  have  made  peace,  and  lie  is  our  friend,  and  so  dear  a 
friend,  that  I  would  willingly  intrust  to  him  my  most  precious 
treasure;  I  am  sure  he  would  honor  and  cherish  it!  Listen 
to  my  orders,  therefore,  all  of  you :  do  not  utter  another  word 
against  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  We  all  love  and  admire  him, 
and  that  stupid  game  must  never  be  played  again.  It  must 
be  laid  aside  forever." 

The  children  were  frightened  and  downcast ;  the  emperor 
turned  from  them,  and  beckoned  to  the  Archduchess  Maria 
Louisa  to  follow  him.  "  I  came  to  see  you  at  your  rooms,"  he 
said ;  "  the  mistress  of  ceremonies  told  me  that  I  would  find 
you  here.  I  want  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Your  majesty  was  very  gracious  to  come  to  me  instead  of 
sending  for  me,"  said  the  archduchess,  bowing  to  her  father. 
"  Does  your  majesty  command  me  to  follow  you  to  your 
cabinet?" 

"No,  just  step  with  me  into  this  window-niche,"  said  the 
emperor;  "I  will  not  detain  you  long.  I  wish  to  show  you 
something."  He  stepped  with  the  princess  into  the  last  win- 
dow-niche, and  closed  the  curtain.  "  Now  look,"  he  said,  "  I 
want  to  show  you  a  miniature,  and  you  must  tell  me  how  you 
like  it."  He  opened  the  locket  and  presented  it  to  the  arch- 
duchess. She  gazed  at  it  long  and  musingly,  and  a  blush 


486  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

suffused  her  cheeks.     "Well!   what  do  you   think   of  this 
man?" 

"  Your  majesty,  he  must  be  a  very  great  and  distinguished 
man,"  exclaimed  the  archduchess.  "  It  is  a  countenance  that 
makes  my  heart  throb;  it  is  more  than  merely  fine-looking, 
it  is  sublime!  How  much  majesty  is  enthroned  on  that  brow, 
and  yet  the  smile  seems  petulant  and  childlike ;  but  the  eyes 
are  magnificent." 

"Look  at  him  carefully,"  said  the  emperor,  "and  do  not 
restrain  your  feelings,  but  fall  in  love  with  him.  For  let  me 
tell  yon  a  secret,  Louisa;  it  is  the  likeness  of  your  future 
husband.'" 

A  deeper  blush  crimsoned  the  face  of  the  archduchess,  and 
half  ashamed,  half  anxious,  she  fixed  her  eyes  again  on  the 
miniature. 

"Yes,"  added  the  emperor,  in  a  graver  tone,  "it  is  the 
portrait  of  your  husband,  and  you  will  receive  this  very  day 
his  ambassador,  who  will  apply  to  you  for  your  hand.  He 
has  already  received  my  consent,  and  I  am  sure  my  daughter 
knows  her  duty,  and  will  accept  obediently  the  husband  I  have 
destined  for  her." 

"  Yes,"  whispered  the  archduchess,  "I  know  that  to  be  my 
duty,  and  shall  humbly  submit  to  the  will  and  commands  of 
my  emperor  and  father." 

"  And  it  is  a  grand  destiny  that  Providence  offers  you," 
said  the  emperor,  gravely.  "  You  are  to  preserve  peace  to 
the  world,  my  daughter;  you  are  to  be  the  bond  of  reconcili- 
ation between  those  who  have  hitherto  hated  and  waged  war 
with  each  other." 

"Sire,"  exclaimed  the  archduchess,  anxiously,  "your  maj- 
esty did  not  tell  me  whose  likeness  this  is?" 

"  And  whom  I  have  determined  to  become  your  husband," 
added  the  emperor.  "  I  will  tell  you  now,  but  be  courageous 
and  brave,  my  daughter,  and  remember  that  you  must  obey 
me  unconditionally." 

"  1  shall  not  forget  to  do  so,  your  majesty." 

"  Well,  then,  did  I  not,  on  entering  this  room,  hear  the 
children  rejoice  at  your  having  hit  the  heart  of  the  Emperor 
Napoleon?" 

"  I  was  playing  with  the  children,  your  majesty,  and — 

"  And  your  play  is  to  become  earnest  now,  and  you  are  to 
take  pains  to  conquer  Bonaparte's  heart,  that  he  may  love  and 
trust  you.  For,  my  daughter,  this  miniature,  which  you 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  487 

pronounced  so  fine-looking,  is  a  correct  likeness  of  the  Em- 
peror Napoleon,  who  will  become  your  husband." 

The  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa  uttered  a  cry,  and  tottered 
to  the  wall. 

Her  father  clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  placed  her  gently 
on  the  easy-chair  standing  in  the  niche.  The  cheeks  of  Maria 
Louisa  had  turned  livid,  her  eyes  were  closed,  and  her  arms 
hung  down  by  her  side. 

"It  is  strange  how  easily  women  faint!"  muttered  the  em- 
peror. "  I  found  that  to  be  the  case  with  all  my  wives. 
When  they  do  not  know  how  to  do  any  thing  better,  they 
faint.  All  four  of  mine  did,  but  they  always  revived,  and  so 
will  Louisa.  I  like  it  much  better  that  she  should  faint  than 
that  she  should  weep.  She  knows  now  what  she  had  to  know, 
and  will  act  accordingly."  He  opened  the  curtain,  and 
stepped  back  into  the  room.  "Leopoldine!"  he  shouted  to 
the  archduchess,  "  step  in  here  to  your  sister,  Maria  Louisa. 
She  has  swooned,  but  it  is  of  no  consequence!  Tell  her  to 
wake  up,  and  conduct  her  to  her  room.  She  will  tell  you 
what  has  happened  to  her." 


CHAPTER    LVI. 
THE   QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY. 

THERE  were  great  rejoicings  in  Berlin.  It  was  the  10th  of 
March,  the  queen's  birthday,  and  she  celebrated  it  again  at 
the  capital  for  the  first  time  in  three  years.  Every  one  has- 
tened to  manifest  his  love  and  sympathy  for  the  queen,  and 
all  classes  had  sent  in  requests  for  permission  to  choose  com- 
mittees to  present  their  congratulations  to  her  majesty.  The 
queen  had  cheerfully  granted  these  requests,  and  the  deputa- 
tions of  the  old  aristocracy,  the  states,  the  clergy,  the  munici- 
pality, the  academy,  the  painters,  and  other  artists,  the 
mechanics,  and  citizens,  were  assembled  in  the  large  hall  of 
the  royal  palace,  waiting  her  arrival. 

The  folding-doors  at  length  opened,  and  the  queen,  pre- 
ceded by  the  grand-marshal  of  the  court,  entered.  She  looked 
pale  and  exhausted,  but  received  with  affability  and  grace  the 
cheers  given  by  the  assembly  at  her  appearance,  and  walked 
slowly  down  the  long  line  of  the  deputations,  addressing 
a  kind  word  or  casting  a  grateful  glance  to  every  one,  and 


488  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

charming  all  by  her  beauty,  gentleness,  and  majesty.  Sud- 
denly her  countenance  brightened,  and  she  approached  a  tall, 
stout  gentleman  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  committee  of 
the  artists.  "  M.  Manager  Iffland,"*  she  said,  "let  me  bid 
you  welcome.  I  expected  to  see  you  here  to-day,  in  order  to 
express  once  more  my  thanks  for  the  joy  you  afforded  me  on 
my  last  birthday,  and  for  the  sufferings  you  underwent  for  my 
sake.  But  I  should  like  to  hear  an  account  of  the  event  from 
your  own  lips,  and  I  ask  of  you,  as  a  birthday  present,  to  re- 
late to  me  what  happened  to  you  last  year  on  this  day." 

While  uttering  these  words,  the  queen  stepped  back  into  the 
middle  of  the  hall,  and  thereby  compelled  Ifflaud  to  leave  the 
committee,  and  follow  her.  "  Your  majesty  is  really  too  kind 
to  remember  so  insignificant  an  occurrence,"  said  Iffland, 
bowing  respectfully.  "  I  was  on  that  day  only  so  happy  as  to 
give  expression  to  the  feelings  animating  all.  'Queen  Louisa, 
our  royal  lady!'  that  was  the  motto  encouraging  us  to  bear 
up  under  the  foreign  yoke ;  it  was  our  consolation  when  we 
thought  of  his  majesty,  our  beloved  king.  However  galling 
our  chains  might  have  been,  we  felt  comfort.  'The  royal 
lady  is  with  him!'  we  said  to  each  other,  and  with  grateful 
tears  every  one  remembered  his  queen." 

"Yes,  it  is  true,"  exclaimed  the  queen  with  feeling,  "we 
met  with  much  love  and  fidelity  during  the  years  of  affliction, 
and  to-day  I  thank  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  all  those  who 
were  faithful  to  us."  Her  eyes  gazed  long  and  affectionately 
on  the  brilliant  circle  of  those  assembled,  and  she  then  turned 
again  to  Iffland.  "  Well,  how  was  it  on  my  birthday  last 
year?"  she  asked.  "Tell  me,  but  speak  loudly,  that  every 
one  may  hear." 

"  Last  year  on  this  day  we  were  not  as  happy  as  we  are  to- 
day," said  Iffland.  "Our  queen  was  not  with  us,  and  we 
could  not  let  her  read  in  our  eyes  the  love  and  fidelity  which 
we  had  been  forbidden  from  manifesting  toward  her  by  word 
or  deed.  The  French  authorities  had  issued  stringent  orders 
everywhere,  that  the  citizens  should  abstain  from  any  allusions 
to  or  recollections  of  our  queen's  birthday,  and  that  no 
demonstrations  whatever  should  be  made.  We  were  obliged 
to  submit  to  the  petty  tyranny,  but  our  hearts  were  filled  with 
anger,  and  the  love  which  we  could  not  assert  was  strength- 
ened in  its  concealment.  It  needed  only  a  spark  to  bring 
about  an  explosion,  and  the  theatre  was  so  fortunate  as  to 

*  The  celebrated  German  actor. 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  489 

kindle  this  spark  in  the  hearts  of  the  loyal  Prussians.  On 
the  evening  of  that  10th  of  March,  a  small  family  drama 
which  I  had  written  was  to  be  performed.  It  was  the  simple 
and  affecting  history  of  a  family  celebrating  happily  the  re- 
union of  a  mother  and  her  children.  The  mother's  name  was 
Louisa,  and  this  name  was  sufficient  to  fill  the  house  with  a 
distinguished  audience.  All  felt  that  the  theatre  was  on  that 
day  the  only  place  where  the  public  heart,  devoted  to  the 
queen,  was  allowed  to  throb  for  her;  where  glances  could  be 
exchanged  and  understood,  and  where  it  was  permitted  to 
whisper,  'It  is  her  birthday  to-day!  Heaven  bless  her!' 
Every  seat  was  occupied  in  the  galleries  as  well  as  in  the 
dress-circle,  in  the  orchestra  stalls  as  well  as  in  the  pit,  every- 
where reigned  the  same  joyous  commotion.  Only  in  the  boxes 
of  the  French,  faces  were  seen  that  cast  an  angry  and  hostile 
expression  on  that  audience. — The  curtain  rose,  and  the  per- 
formance commenced.  The  actor  Lange  and  myself  appeared 
in  the  first  scene.  Lange  had  to  play  the  part  of  a  friend  of 
the  house,  happening  to  arrive  there  on  that  day.  I  repre- 
sented the  son  of  Louisa,  the  mother,  and  appeared  on  the 
stage  with  a  large  bouquet  on  my  breast.  'Why  do  you  look 
so  happy  and  well-dressed  to-day?'  said  Lange.  'I  suppose 
you  are  celebrating  a  family  festival?'  'Yes!'  I  exclaimed  in 
a  loud  and  joyous  voice,  'we  are  celebrating  a  family  festival, 
and  it  is  a  beautiful  festival;  we  are  celebrating  the  return  of 
our  beloved  mother,  God  bless  her !  God  bless  the  dear  lady 
who  is  to  receive  these  flowers !'  Carried  away  by  my  enthusi- 
asm, I  tore  the  bouquet  from  my  breast,  and  held  it  out  toward 
the  audience.  Moved  by  one  and  the  same  feeling  of  love 
and  admiration,  the  whole  assembly  rose,  and  thousands  of 
voices  shouted,  as  it  were  with  one  mouth  and  from  one 
heart,  'God  bless  her!  God  bless  the  dear  lady — the  adored 
mother!'  Oh,  queen,  it  was  a  sublime  moment,  and  God 
counted  the  tears  and  understood  the  prayers  that  we  addressed 
to  Him.  He  has  restored  to  us  our  queen,  the  beloved  mother 
of  her  country  and  people!" 

The  queen  at  first  listened  smilingly ;  gradually,  however, 
her  countenance  became  grave.  She  was  standing  with  pro- 
found emotion  in  front  of  Iffland,  when  he  concluded  his  nar- 
rative, and  tears  dropped  from  her  downcast  eyes.  Silence 
reigned  in  the  vast  hall,  and  all  faces  were  turned  to  the 
queen.  She  raised  her  eyes  slowly,  and  directed  them  toward 
Iffland  with  an  expression  of  indescribable  kindness.  "I 


490  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

thank  you,"  said  Louisa;  "you  stood  faithfully  by  your  queen 
at  a  time  when  many  were  deserting  her.  You  have  been  a 
faithful  knight  of  mine,  and  the  king,  therefore,  wants  you 
to  retain  always  the  title  of  knight.  He  permits  me  to  give 
you  to-day  another  decoration  instead  of  the  bouquet  you  wore 
on  your  breast  a  year  ago.  In  the  name  of  his  majesty  I  have 
to  present  to  you  the  insignfa  of  the  order  of  the  Eed  Eagle." 

A  pallor  overspread  Ifnand's  countenance,  while  he  received 
the  order  which  the  queen  handed  to  him.  "  0  queen,"  he 
said,  deeply  affected,  "such  an  honor  to  me,  the  actor!  I 
thank  your  majesty  in  the  name  of  all  my  colleagues,  from 
whom  you  have  removed  at  this  moment  the  interdict  exclud- 
ing them  from  the  honors  and  dignities  of  other  men." 

The  queen  smiled.  "It  is  true,"  she  said,  "  I  believe  you 
are  the  first  actor  who  ever  received  an  order  in  Prussia. 
And  are  you  not  indeed  the  first  actor?  However,  you  owe 
us  still  the  conclusion  of  your  narrative.  You  described  to  us 
the  scene  at  the  theatre,  but  not  the  disagreeable  consequences 
of  the  occurrence." 

"Ah!  your  majesty,"  exclaimed  Inland,  smiling,  "the  con- 
sequences were  easy  to  bear  after  the  sublime  moment  which 
I  had  witnessed.  I  was  imprisoned  for  forty-eight  hours  at 
the  French  guard-house,  where  they  put  me  on  a  diet  of  bread 
and  water.  That  was  all. " 

"I  thank  you  for  suffering  so  cheerfully  for  me,"  said  the 
queen,  dismissing  Iffland  with  a  pleasant  nod.  "  Would  I 
were  able  to  reward  all  those  who  have  suffered  for  us,  and 
endured  persecution  in  love  and  patience,  and  to  return  days 
of  joy  for  days  of  sorrow!" 

Iffland,  who  looked  proud  and  happy,  stepped  back  among 
the  members  of  his  committee,  and  Louisa  continued  her 
walk,  uttering  words  of  gratitude  and  acknowledgment,  and 
charming  all  by  her  winning  and  withal  queenly  bearing. 

After  the  reception  was  over,  she  returned  to  her  apart- 
ments. The  smile  disappeared  from  her  lips,  and  her  coun- 
tenance assumed  a  melancholy  expression.  She  motioned  to 
her  two  ladies  of  honor  to  leave  her,  and  remained  alone  with 
her  confidante,  Madame  von  Berg.  "Oh,  Caroline,"  sighed 
the  queen,  "I  can  bear  it  no  longer.  My  heart  succumbs 
under  these  tortures.  They  call  this  day  a  holiday,  but  to 
me  it  is  a  day  of  terror.  To-night  a  party  at  the  palace — a 
banquet  previous  to  it, — and  I  must  be  gay,  though  suffering 
severe  pain !  My  heart  is  bleeding,  and  yet  I  am  to  dance, 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  491 

address  pleasant  words  to  every  one,  and  assume  an  appear- 
ance of  happiness.  I  do  not  know  whither  to  escape  with  my 
grief!  To  whom  will  Prussia  belong  a  year  hence?  Whither 
shall  we  all  be  scattered?  God  have  mercy  on  us!" 

"Your  majesty  views  the  situation  in  too  gloomy  a  light," 
said  Madame  von  Berg,  consolingly.  "  No  further  events 
have  occurred  that  need  alarm  you." 

"No  further  events!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  vehemently. 
"  You  do  not  know,  then,  Caroline,  that  Count  Krusemark 
arrived  from  Paris  this  morning?" 

"No,  "replied  Madame  von  Berg,  anxiously;  "I  do  not 
know  any  thing  about  it.  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  un- 
expected arrival  of  the  ambassador?" 

"  A  new  calamity  is  threatening  us.  Count  Krusemark  is 
the  bearer  of  a  letter  from  Napoleon  to  the  king.  Oh,  Caro- 
line, what  a  letter  it  is!  One  cannot  help  blushing  with 
shame  and  anger  on  reading  it,  and  yet  it  is  necessary  for  us 
to  be  silent.  Napoleon  menaces  because  the  war  contributions 
are  not  promptly  paid:  he  talks  as  a  superior  to  his  inferior 
who  neglects  his  duty;  he  scolds  as  a  schoolmaster  does  his 
pupil  who  has  not  learned  his  task.  And  we  must  bear  it,  we 
must  stoop  so  low  as  to  beg  him  to  be  indulgent!  Caroline, 
we  must  now  solicit  the  forbearance  of  the  man  who  has  in- 
sulted us  by  every  word  he  addressed  to  us,  and  by  every  look 
he  cast  upon  us.  For  do  you  really  know  what  he  threatens 
to  do?  He  writes  that  if  the  king  does  not  immediately  pay 
up  the  arrears  of  the  war  contributions,  he  will  send  an  army 
to  Prussia,  to  collect  the  money,  and  punish  the  king  for  his 
breach  of  faith.  He  will  send  another  army  to  Prussia! — that 
is  to  say,  the  war  is  to  begin  anew,  and,  as  we  have  become 
powerless,  and  cannot  defend  our  frontiers,  he  means  to  crush 
us.  He  will  take  every  thing,  and  Prussia  will  cease  to  exist. 
And  we  cannot  pay,  we  have  no  means  to  obtain  those  mill- 
ions so  unjustly  claimed!" 

"But  the  ministers  will  devise  means  to  pay  the  contribu- 
tion, dearest  queen;  the  minister  of  finance  will  be  able  to 
suggest  a  scheme  to  fulfil  the  engagements  that  have  been  en- 
tered into,  and  to  discharge  the  claims  which  Napoleon  has 
against  us." 

The  queen  laughed  scornfully.  "  Buron  von  Altenstem,  the 
minister  of  finance,  is  not  of  your  opinion,'  she  said.  "The 
king  asked  him  to  suggest  measures  by  which  the  liabilities 
we  had  incurred  might  be  discharged.  But  Altenstein  re- 


492  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

plied  that  he  did  not  know  of  any,  and  he  then  proposed  to 
the  king  to  pay  the  debt  by  ceding  the  province  of  Silesia  to 
Napoleon." 

"Dreadful!"  exclaimed  Madame  von  Berg,  indignantly. 
"  A  Prussian  minister  does  not  shrink  from  advising  the  king, 
although  we  are  at  peace,  to  sacrifice  the  best  province  that 
has  remained,  and  which  even  the  defeats  of  Jena  and  Fried- 
land,  and  the  intriguing  days  of  Tilsit  did  not  endanger!" 

"  And  if  we  do  not  consent  to  such  a  sacrifice  (and  we  shall 
not),  what  next?"  exclaimed  the  queen,  despairingly.  "Na- 
poleon will  send  his  army  and  expel  or  imprison  us,  as  he 
treated  the  unfortunate  royal  family  of  Spain.  Oh,  Caroline, 
I  shall  be  uneasy  night  and  day.  Dreadful  apprehensions  are 
constantly  meeting  me.  I  think  of  Spain,  and  fears  oppress 
me  lest  my  husband  have  the  same  fate  as  King  Charles.  Be- 
lieve me,  his  life,  his  liberty  is  threatened,  and  he  is  every 
day  in  danger  of  being  suddenly  seized  and  taken  away  as  a 
hostage,  until  we  have  fulfilled  the  behests  of  the  tyrant,  and 
given  him  all  that  still  belongs  to  us — ^our  honor,  our  crown, 
and,  perhaps,  our  lives.  We  are  surrounded  by  French  spies: 
every  word,  every  look,  is  watched ;  only  a  pretext  is  sought 
to  ruin  us,  and  it  will  be  found,  as  it  was  in  Spain.  Oh,  he 
will  take  my  husband  from  me !  he  will  drag  him  as  a  prisoner 
from  one  place  to  another  as  he  did  the  King  of  Spain ;  he 
will  sow  the  seeds  of  discord  in  our  family  as  he  did  in  that 
unhappy  country.  He,  the  tyrant  Napoleon,  brought  about 
a  quarrel  between  the  Infante  and  his  father ;  he  compelled, 
with  his  iron  hand,  the  unfortunate  King  Charles  to  write 
that  his  son's  guilt  had  raised  a  barrier  between  father  and 
son.  But  whose  hand  was  it  that  constructed  it?  Can  there 
be  any  doubt?  It  was  his  alone!  Oh,  will  there  be  a  time, 
and  shall  I  live  to  see  it,  when  the  hand  of  God  will  at  length 
write  the  'Mene,  mene,  tekel,'  on  his  wall?" 

"  Your  majesty  will  live  to  see  that  time,"  exclaimed  Ma- 
dame von  Berg.  "  You  will  witness  the  judgment  of  Heaven 
and  of  the  nations  overthrowing  the  tyrant." 

The  queen  shook  her  head.  "  No,"  she  whispered,  "  I  shall 
not  live  to  see  it.  I  think  this  will  be  the  last  time  that  I 
celebrate  my  birthday  here."  * 

"  Oh,  Louisa,"  cried  Madame  von  Berg,  bursting  into  tears, 
"  do  not  utter  such  cruel,  heart-rending  words.  You  will  live, 
you  must  live,  for  the  consolation  and  joy  of  us  all.  It  would 

*  The  queen's  own  words. 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  493 

be  an  injustice,  and  we  should  despair  of  divine  equity,  if  our 
queen  depart  without  having  seen  again  the  days  of  deliver- 
ance and  happiness." 

"My  dear,  Providence  permits  such  acts  of  injustice,"  said 
Louisa,  with  a  mournful  smile.  "  Was  it  just  that  noble 
Palm  should  be  shot,  that  Schill  had  to  fall,  and  to  be  stig- 
matized as  a  deserter  for  his  heroic  actions?  Was  it  just  that 
Andrew  Hofer  had  to  expiate  his  glorious  struggle  for  free- 
dom by  his  death?  The  Emperor  of  Austria  was  in  the  same 
position  as  we  were.  He  had  to  sacrifice  Andrew  Hofer  as 
we  Ferdinand  von  Schill.  The  cruel  hand  of  the  tyrant 
rested  on  him  as  it  did  on  us.  And  now  they  have  shot  the 
brave,  heroic  leader  of  the  Tyrolese  at  Mantua!  My  soul 
mourns  for  him,  for  I  hoped  in  him.  It  is  but  recently  that 
I  understood  Schiller's  words,  'On  the  mountains  there  is 
freedom!'  They  resounded  in  my  heart  like  a  prophecy, 
when  in  my  thought  I  looked  over  to  the  mountaineers  who 
had  risen  at  Hofer's  call.  My  heart  fought  at  his  side!  And 
what  a  man  this  dear,  honest,  simple  Andrew  Hofer  was!  A 
peasant  who  had  become  a  general,  and  what  a  general !  His 
weapon — prayer!  His  ally — God!  He  fought  with  folded 
hands,  with  bended  knees,  and  struck  down  the  enemy  as 
with  a  cherub's  sword.  And  the  brave  Tyrolese  were  fight- 
ing with  him — children  in  the  simplicity  of  their  hearts,  they 
fought  like  Titans,  by  hurling  down  rocks  from  the  summits 
of  their  fastnesses.  And  yet  it  was  all  in  vain !  They  were 
sacrificed,  and  their  leader  was  shot  by  the  man  who  to-mor- 
row marries  the  daughter  of  their  emperor.  And  you  doubt 
that  Providence  permits  acts  of  injustice?  Oh,  I  do  not 
doubt  that  God  is  just,  but  we  mortals  are  often  unable  to 
comprehend  his  justice,  because  our  life  is  too  short  to  wit- 
ness the  result  of  that  of  which  we  have  seen  only  the  incep- 
tion ;  but  He  knows  the  end  from  the  beginning.  And  an 
end  will  come  for  Napoleon  with  all  his  glory.  But  shall  I  or 
any  of  us  ever  live  to  witness  it?" 

"  All  of  us  will,"  said  Madame  von  Berg ;  "  our  belief  in  the 
final  retribution  of  Divine  justice  will  give  us  our  strength, 
I  hope,  for  many  years." 

"  I  shall  not  live  to  see  that  blessed  time,"  said  the  queen, 
solemnly.  "  This  man,  who  is  to  be  married  to  a  German 
princess  to-morrow,  has  wounded  my  heart  so  that  it  will  at 
last  destroy  me.  I  do  not  speak  figuratively,  but  mean  what 
I  say.  There  is  something  in  my  heart  that  leaves  me  no  rest 


494  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

night  and  day.  Its  palpitations  strike  like  a  death-watch. 
There  is  something  gnawing  there  incessantly;  at  times  I  feel 
that  it  has  nearly  pierced  my  life,  that  death  is  surely  near. 
And  I  am  dying  of  the  wretchedness  and  disgrace  which  he 
who  is  enthroned  in  France  has  brought  upon  Prussia!  I  am 
dying,  and  he  will  win  further  triumphs;  the  whole  of  Europe 
will  lie  prostrate  at  his  feet,  and  his  songs  of  victory  will  be 
my  dirge,  leaving  me  no  rest  even  in  my  grave.  But  hush, 
hush !  Let  us  say  no  more.  I  have  allowed  you  to  look  into 
the  depths  of  my  soul.  You,  my  friend,  are  the  only  one  to 
whom  I  sometimes  raise  the  veil  covering  my  bleeding  heart. 
Bnt  tell  no  one  what  you  have  seen ;  keep  my  secret  a  little 
while  longer,  my  dear  Caroline. — And  how  is  your  friend, 
excellent  Baron  von  Stein?  You  told  me  yesterday  you  had 
received  letters  from  him.  What  does  he  write?  Where  does 
he  live?" 

"  He  lives  in  Briinn;  his  wife  and  children  have  joined  him, 
and  his  life  therefore  is  outwardly  at  least  less  sad  than 
formerly.  He  is  in  constant  communication  with  the  promi- 
nent statesmen  of  Germany;  all  patriots  hope  in  him,  and  re- 
ceive advice  and  consolation  from  him.  He  is  preparing 
quietly  and  secretly  the  great  work  of  deliverance,  which, 
when  completed,  will  delight  the  eyes  of  my  queen  and  receive 
her  blessing.  His  eyes  are  constantly  turned  toward  Prussia, 
and  it  is  his  profoundest  sorrow  that  he  is  not  permitted  in 
these  times  to  devote  his  services  to  the  king." 

"Yes,"  said  the  queen,  sighing,  "it  is  the  terrible  misfor- 
tune of  the  king  that,  in  times  so  calamitous  as  these,  he  is 
deprived  of  the  assistance  of  the  patriotic  men  who  alone 
would  be  able  to  save  him  and  the  state.  The  tyrannous 
decrees  of  Napoleon  have  taken  his  noblest  and  best  servants 
from  him.  Stein  is  in  exile.  Hardenberg  has  to  keep  aloof 
from  us  because  the  emperor  so  ordered  it.  We  might  have 
ministers  competent  to  hold  the  helm  of  the  ship  of  state  and 
take  her  successfully  into  port,  but  we  are  not  allowed  to  em- 
ploy them.  Our  interests  are  consequently  intrusted  to  weak 
and  ill-disposed  ministers,  who  will  ruin  them,  and  we  shall 
perish,  unless  assistance  come  soon — very  soon!  Stein  and 
Hardenberg  are  exiled,  and  we  have  only  Minister  Altenstein, 
who  is  bold  enough  to  propose  the  voluntary  cession  of  Silesia 
to  the  king!  Oh,  my  beloved,  unfortunate  Prussia,  where  is 
there  a  prospect  of  safety  for  thee? — Ah,  the  worm  is  again 
at  my  heart — oh,  it  oppresses  me  so  that  I  can  scarcely 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  495 

breathe!  Tell  me,  Caroline,  what  else  has  Baron  von  Stein 
written  to  you?" 

"  He  describes  the  deep  and  painful  impression  which  the 
marriage  of  the  Archduchess  Maria  Louisa  with  the  Emperor 
Napoleon  has  made  throughout  Austria.  There  was  no  rejoic- 
ing, for  all  regarded  it  as  another  humiliation  of  Austria — as 
a  chain  by  which  she  fastens  herself  to  France,  and  makes 
herself  a  vassal  of  a  powerful  enemy.  The  Viennese  particu- 
larly received  the  intelligence  with  profound  indignation,  and 
even  seditious  gatherings  took  place,  which  had  to  be  dispersed 
by  the  troops.  In  their  sorrow,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Aus- 
trian capital  consoled  themselves  with  a  little  wit;  for,  on 
the  day  when  the  Viennese  had  to  illuminate  their  city  in 
honor  of  the  betrothal,  the  populace,  marching  through  the 
streets,  reached  the  residence  of  the  French  ambassador,  and 
shouted  in  a  loud  and  scornful  tone:  'Napoleon  is  now 
ruined!  We  have  at  last  played  him  a  trick!  We  have  inoc- 
ulated him  with  Austrian  bad  luck  and  Austrian  stupidity !'  "  * 

The  queen  laughed.  "  That  sounds  very  silly,  and  does  not 
indicate  much  self-esteem,  but  there  is  a  deep  meaning  in  it 
after  all.  A  connection  with  Austria  has  always  been  disas- 
trous to  France.  Louis  XVI.  died  of  his  marriage  with 
Marie  Antoinette,  and  Napoleon  will  not  derive  much  benefit 
from  his  with  the  archduchess.  He  intends  to  strengthen  his 
empire  by  this  step,  but  it  will  alienate  his  own  people  from 
him.  By  this  connection  with  an  old  dynasty  he  recedes  from 
the  people  and  from  the  liberal  ideas  of  the  revolution,  which 
enabled  him  to  ascend  the  throne.  If  this  throne  should  ever 
be  shaken,  he  would  find  that  Austria  will  not  support  him." 

"It  will  be  shaken  and  fall!"  exclaimed  Madame  von  Berg. 
"  There  is  an  ominous  commotion  everywhere.  Spain  is  the 
first  fruit  of  the  new  era  about  to  dawn  upon  us.  She  has 
not  yet  been  conquered,  nor  will  she  be,  notwithstanding  Na- 
poleon's high-sounding  phrases  and  so-called  victories.  She 
is  as  a  rock  that  will  first  break  the  waves  of  his  haughty  will. 
As  a  proof  of  the  hatred  prevailing  in  Spain,  Baron  von  Stein 
sent  me  a  page  from  the  catechism,  which  the  priests  are 
teaching  the  people  at  the  present  time,  and  he  added  to  it  a 
few  passages  from  the  new  French  catechism.  Will  your 
majesty  permit  me  to  read  them?" 

"  Read,"  exclaimed  the  queen;  "  pray,  dear  Caroline,  let 
me  hear  them !" 

*  Hormayr,  vol.  I.,  p.  89,  and  other  historians  relate  this  occurrence. 


496  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Madame  von  Berg  drew  several  papers  from  her  pocket. 
"  Let  us  first  be  edified  by  the  Spanish  catechism,  if  it  please 
your  majesty,"  and  she  read: 

"Who  are  you,  my  child?" 

"A  Spaniard,  by  the  grace  of  God." 

"  What  does  that  mean?" 

"A  man  of  honor." 

"  Who  is  our  enemy?" 

"  The  Emperor  of  the  French." 

"What  is  the  Emperor  of  the  French?" 

"A  villain,  the  source  of  all  evil." 

"  How  many  natures  has  he?" 

"  Two.     A  human  and  a  diabolical  nature. " 

"  How  many  Emperors  of  the  French  are  there?" 

"  One  emperor  in  three." 

"  What  are  their  names?" 

"Napoleon,  Murat,  and  Manuel  Godoy." 

"  Which  is  the  worst?" 

"  They  are  all  equally  bad." 

"Whence  does  Napoleon  come?'* 

"From  sin." 

"Murat?" 

"From  Napoleon." 

"  Godoy?" 

"From  both." 

"What  are  the  French?" 

"  Christians  who  have  become  heretics." 

"  What  punishment  deserves  the  Spaniard  who  neglects  his 
duties?" 

"  The  death  and  disgrace  of  a  traitor." 

"  Is  it  a  sin  to  kill  a  Frenchman?" 

"  No,  a  man  gains  heaven  by  killing  one  of  the  heretical 
dogs." 

"  Horrible!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  shuddering.  "  But  that 
is  their  catechism,  and  these  are  the  doctrines  which  are  act- 
ually taught  the  people,  and  which  filled  them  with  such  des- 
perate courage  at  Saragossa.  And  now,  Caroline,  let  me  hear 
something  of  the  French  catechism." 

"Here  is  a  passage  reading:  'To  honor  and  serve  our  Em- 
peror Napoleon,  is  to  honor  and  serve  God  Himself,  for  it  is 
he  whom  the  Lord  has  given  to  us,  that  he  may  restore  the 
holy  faith  of  our  fathers  and  to  rule  over  us  with  wisdom  and 
firmness.  He  is  the  anointed  of  the  Lord,  owing  to  the  con- 


THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY.  497 

eecration  he  has  received  at  the  hands  of  the  pope,  the  head 
of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church.  Those  who  would  not  fulfil 
their  duties  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon  would  rebel  against  the 
will  of  God,  and  be  doomed  eternally.' ' 

"  That  is  the  fanaticism  of  a  man  who  believes  in  nothing 
but  himself,  and  whom  this  self-deification  nevertheless  will 
one  day  hurl  into  the  abyss,"  exclaimed  the  queen.  "But 
hark,  it  strikes  twelve!  The  king  will  soon  be  here  to  take 
me  to  the  palace.  I  will  dress,  for  I  must  not  keep  him  long 
waiting.  Ah,  there  he  is  already!"  Louisa  rose  quickly 
from  the  sofa  and  hastened  toward  the  king,  who  entered  the 
room.  Madame  von  Berg  withdrew  quietly,  and  the  king  and 
the  queen  remained  alone. 

The  king  took  the  hands  which  the  queen  extended  toward 
him,  and  pressed  them  tenderly  to  his  lips.  "  I  come,  per- 
haps, earlier  than  you  expected,"  he  said,  "but  I  wished  to 
see  my  beloved  Louisa  on  this  festive  day,  before  she  again 
becomes  the  queen.  It  seems  to  me  I  have  not  yet  seen  you 
to-day.  Since  early  morning  the  people  offering  congratu- 
lations and  presents  have  perfectly  besieged  the  house." 

"  That  is  the  consequence  of  celebrating  my  birthday  in 
Berlin,  my  friend,"  exclaimed  the  queen  laughing;  "it  is 
your  just  punishment  for  refusing  to  spend  the  day  with  me 
and  the  children  quietly  at  our  dear  Parez,  as  we  always  used 
to  do." 

"  I  could  not  do  that,"  said  the  king,  gravely.  "  I  had  to 
give  our  subjects  an  opportunity  to  manifest  their  love  for  you 
and  to  indemnify  them  for  the  last  three  years,  when  they 
were  unable  to  do  so.  But  do  you  know,  Louisa,  why  I  come 
now?  I  should  like  to  present  you  two  acceptable  gifts." 

"More  gifts?"  exclaimed  the  queen,  almost  reproachfully. 
"  Your  love  has  lavished  sovmany  costly  and  beautiful  presents 
on  me  to-day  that  I  hardly  know  what  you  may  give  me." 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid,  for  the  gifts  are  not  very  expen- 
sive; they  are  only  two  pieces  of  paper.  They  will  not  make 
your  casket  heavier,  but  I  hope  they  will  render  your  heart 
lighter.  Here  is  the  first."  He  drew  a  letter  from  his  bosom 
and  handed  it  to  the  queen.  "  Read  the  address,"  he  said. 

The  queen  read:  "  'To  his  excellency,  Count  von  Harden- 
berg,  at  present  at  the  farm  of  Grohnde. ' — What?"  she 
asked,  looking  joyously  at  the  king.  "  My  friend,  you  have 
yourself  written  to  Hardenberg?" 

The  king  nodded.     "  I  myself,"  he  said. 


498  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

"And  what  did  you  write  to  him?" 

"  I  requested  him  to  come  to  me  without  delay,  if  he  feel 
strong  enough,  and  resume  his  former  position  at  the  head  of 
the  government." 

"  But  you  know  Napoleon  does  not  want  Hardenberg  to  be 
your  minister." 

"  I  am  now  again,  and  intend  remaining,  master  in  my  own 
country." 

"Napoleon  ordered  that  Hardenberg  should  not  come 
within  twenty  leagues  of  the  place  where  the  king  resides. 
Kemember,  dear  friend,  he  is  proscribed." 

"  But  I  disregard  this  proscription,  and  call  Hardenberg  to 
my  side.  If  he  is  courageous  enough  he  will  come,  and  when 
he  is  here  we  shall  take  pains  to  pacify  the  emperor's  wrath. 
He  is  at  present  too  busily  engaged  in  arranging  his  wedding 
festivities,  and  in  preparing  for  the  reception  of  his  young 
wife;  he  will  not  have  time  to  notice  that  the  little  King  of 
Prussia  has  chosen  another  minister.  We  shall  try  to  manage 
the  matter  as  prudently  as  possible,  and  prevail  upon  Napo- 
leon to  leave  Hardenberg  at  the  head  of  my  cabinet.  I  can- 
not do  any  thing  with  a  minister  who  proposes  to  me  to 
sacrifice  the  province  of  Silesia,  and  to  sell  loyal  subjects  like 
cattle.  I  will  dismiss  Altenstein,  and  appoint  Hardenberg  in 
his  place.  I  have  called  him.  If  he  is  a  good  patriot,  he 
will  come;  he  must  write  a  penitent  letter  to  the  emperor, 
that  he  may  permit  him  to  remain  with  us."  * 

"  Oh,  he  will  come,  my  friend,  and  also  write  the  letter," 
exclaimed  the  queen. 

"  And  do  you  approve  my  resolution  to  intrust  Hardenberg 
with  Altenstein's  department?"  asked  the  king. 

"Approve  it?  My  heart  rejoices  at  it!  Now  I  have  hopes 
again  of  Prussia;  now  I  look  full  of  confidence  into  the 
future,  for  Hardenberg  is  a  true  German  patriot,  who  has  the 
honor  and  dignity  of  his  country  at  heart,  who  does  not  want 
us  to  become  mere  vassals  of  France,  and  who  will  not  propose 
to  sacrifice  provinces  when  we  may  discharge  our  liabilities 
with  money.  Oh,  my  dear,  beloved  friend,  how  grateful  I 
am  to  you  for  this  joyful  surprise!  This  paper  is  my  most 
precious  birthday  gift,  and  it  really  makes  my  heart  glad." 

*  Hardenberg  complied  immediately  with  the  king's  request,  and  came  to  Pots- 
dam, where  he  Bad  a  long  interview  with  him,  and  declared  his  readiness  to  resume 
his  position  at  the  head  of  the  administration.  He  submitted  also  to  the  galling 
necessity  of  conciliating  Napoleon  by  an  humble  letter,  in  which  he  assured  the  em- 
peror of  his  devotedness  to  France,  and  promised  that  the  war-contributions  should 
be  promptly  paid.  Napoleon  was  favorably  impressed  with  this  letter,  and  ceased 
to  object  to  Hardenberg's  appointment. 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  499 

"'But  I  have  another  paper  which  will  afford  you  pleasure," 
said  the  king,  drawing  it  from  his  bosom.  "  Here,  my  dear, 
affectionate  Princess  of  Mecklenburg,  here  is  my  second  gift!" 

He  placed  a  folded  paper  into  the  hands  of  the  queen.  She 
opened  it,  and  a  joyous  cry  burst  from  her  lips.  "  '  Passenger 
ticket  for  Queen  Louisa,  good  for  a  trip  to  Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz,'"  she  read,  laughing.  '"First  travelling  compan- 
ion: Frederick  William.'  I  am  to  go  to  Mecklenburg,"  cried 
the  queen,  joyously,  "and  you  will  accompany  me?  Oh,  my 
beloved  husband,  you  have  divined,  then,  the  most  secret  and 
ardent  wish  of  my  heart,  and  you  grant  it  even  before  my  lips 
have  uttered  it!  Oh,  how  shall  I  thank  you,  my  own  dear 
friend?"  She  encircled  the  king's  neck  with  her  arms,  with 
passionate  tenderness,  and  pressed  a  long  kiss  on  his  lips. 
"Dear,  dear  husband,  how  shall  I  thank  you?"  she  whis- 
pered, once  more  with  tearful  eyes. 

The  king  looked  at  her  long  and  lovingly.  "  That  you  are 
with  me  is  my  greatest  happiness.  I  was  thinking  to-day  of 
a  poem  written  by  good  old  Claudius;  it  expresses  my  own 
feelings.  It  is  an  echo  of  my  heart's  gratitude!" 

"  What  poem  is  it?"  asked  the  queen. 

Frederick  William  laid  his  hand  on  her  head,  raised  his 
eyes  toward  heaven,  and  said  aloud : 

"  Ich  danke  dir  mein  Wohl,  mein  Gltick  in  diesem  Leben, 

Ich  war  wohl  king,  dass  icli  dich  fund  : 
Doch  ich  fand  nicht,  Gott  hat  dich  mir  gegeben, 
So  segue t  keines  Menscheu  Hand  !  "  * 


CHAPTER    LVII. 

LOUISA'S   DEATH. 

THE  happy  and  long-yearned-for  day,  the  25th  of  June,  had 
dawned  at  last.  The  queen's  wish  was  to  be  fulfilled ;  she 
was  to  set  out  for  her  old  Mecklenburg  home,  for  her  paternal 
roof  at  Neustrelitz.  The  king  intended  to  follow  her  thither 
in  a  few  days,  for  he  was  detained  in  Berlin  by  state  affairs; 

•  On  thee  my  joy,  my  hopes  rely  ! 

How  wise  to  win  thee  mine  ! 
But  surely  it  was  Heaven — not  I, 
That  made  me  ever  thine. 

To  thee,  my  loving  spouse,  I  owe 

Whate'er  of  good  may  be, 
Nor  could  a  human  hand  bestow 

This  priceless  gift  on  me. 


500  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

they  were  then  to  go  with  her  family  to  the  ducal  country- 
seat  of  Hohenzieritz,  and  thence  to  return  to  Berlin. 

How  had  the  queen  longed  for  this  day!  how  joyously  had 
she  awaited  the  moment  when  she  was  to  see  her  old  home 
again !  Even  her  separation  from  her  beloved  children,  from 
her  husband,  did  not  shade  her  beautiful  countenance.  She 
was  to  miss  her  children  but  for  a  short  time,  and  her  husband 
was  to  join  her  at  the  earliest  moment;  she  could  therefore 
yield  to  the  joy  with  which  the  prospect  of  seeing  her  father 
and  his  family,  and  of  returning  to  her  old  home,  filled  her 
heart. 

Home !  The  carriage  rolled  from  the  palace-gate  of  Char- 
lottenburg,  and  the  green  fields  as  she  passed  had  never  seemed 
so  beautiful.  But  her  eyes  were  often  turned  to  the  sky,  and 
she  gazed  on  the  white  clouds  floating  over  it  as  swans  on  an 
azure  lake.  "  Precede  me,  clouds !  inform  my  father  and  my 
brothers  that  I  am  coming!"  she  exclaimed,  smiling.  "Oh, 
why  does  not  my  soul  unfold  its  wings,  and  carry  me  home 
through  the  air?  The  horses  are  too  slow!" 

And  yet  the  horses  were  running  along  the  turnpike, 
swiftly  passing  towns  and  villages,  fields  and  meadows.  The 
queen,  in  her  impatience,  counted  the  relays.  "  We  are  already 
at  Gransee;  the  next  town  will  be  on  Mecklenburg  soil. 
The  frontier  of  my  father's  state  is  between  Gransee  and 
Fiirstenberg.  Forward!  home!  home!" 

"Queen,  here  we  are  on  the  frontier!  Here  is  Mecklen- 
burg!" exclaimed  Madame  von  Berg. 

"Mecklenburg!"  said  the  queen,  smiling.  "Hail  my 
native  country!"  And  she  kissed  her  hands  to  the  landscape 
spread  out  before  her  in  all  its  summer  beauty.  "  I  greet  and 
kiss  thee,  my  Mecklenburg!  I  return  with  a  faithful  heart!" 

Why  did  the  queen  start  up  so  suddenly,  and  press  her 
hands  so  anxiously  against  her  heart?  "Oh,  Caroline,"  she 
whispered,  "  the  death-worm,  the  death-worm !  Could  it  not 
be  still  at  this  moment?  Could  it  not  let  me  enjoy  the  bliss  of 
this  hour?  Oh,  how  it  tortures  my  heart!" 

"0  queen,  why  such  gloomy  thoughts  now?  Look  at  the 
sky,  how  bright  it  is! — how  mild  and  pleasant  the  air — the 
air  of  Mecklenburg!" 

"  The  air  of  my  native  country  is  fanning  my  face,  but  the 
death-worm  is  at  work  in  my  heart.  The  gates  of  my  home 
above  will  soon  be  thrown  open  for  me!  But  hush!  Why 
put  this  drop  of  wormwood  into  the  cup  of  joy?  I  will  not 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  501 

drink  it,  I  will  not  listen  to  my  palpitating  heart!  Let  ns 
see  whether  I  am  stronger  than  my  pain.  I  will  laugh  and 
be  happy!" 

And  the  queen,  leaning  forward  with  smiling  countenance, 
said :  "  I  greet  thee,  my  Mecklenburg,  with  thy  waving  wheat- 
fields  and  fragrant  meadows,  thy  transparent  lakes  and  forest 
oaks,  and,  above  all,  thy  ruddy  sons  and  daughters!  Look, 
Caroline,  what  sunny  waves  are  passing  over  those  ripening 
fields,  bringing  to  the  farmer  the  fruits  of  his  labor.  Look  at 
that  pretty  scene  yonder!  At  the  door  of  the  lonely  cottage, 
in  the  middle  of  the  rye-field,  sits  a  peasant's  wife;  her  babe 
is  resting  on  her  breast,  and  three  flaxen-haired  children  are 
playing  at  her  feet.  She  does  not  see  us ;  she  sees  nothing  but 
her  children,  and  sings  to  them.  Stop,  that  I  may  hear  the 
song  of  the  good  young  mother!"  The  carriage  halted.  The 
wind  swept  across  the  plain,  and  played  with  the  white  veil 
of  the  queen,  who  listened  with  bated  breath  to  the  lullaby  of 
the  peasant's  wife : 

"Oh,  schlop,  mihn  lewes,  liittes  Kind, 
Oh,  schlop  tin  drohm  recht  schon  ! 
Denn  alle  Engel  bi  di  siind 
Un  Qott,  de  bet  di  sehn. 
Leev  Gott  het  alle  Minschen  gihrn, 
De  Kinner  doch  am  leevsten, 
Driim  wenn  wi  man  wi  Kiimerwirn, 
Denn  bar  uns  Gott  am  leevsteii ! 
Oh,  schlop,  mihn  lewes,  liittes  Kind, 
Oh,  schlop,  und  drohm  recht  schon ! "  * 

The  queen  laughed  with  delight.  "  That  is  a  Mecklenburg 
patois  song,"  she  exclaimed,  "and  yet  how  sweetly  it  sounds; 
how  gentle  and  winning,  as  though  it  were  the  language  of 
the  heart!  My  native  country  has  greeted  me  now  with  its 
most  tender  notes,  with  the  song  that  the  mother  sings  to  her 
children!  Forward!  I  am  also  a  child  of  Mecklenburg,  and 
long  for  my  father's  kiss  and  the  embrace  of  my  dear  old 
grandmother!" 

"  There  are  the  spires  of  a  town  in  Mecklenburg !  the  spires 
of  Fiirstenberg!" 

*Oh  sleep!  my  darling  baby,  sleep  1 

And  ('ream  without  a  tear, 
For  lovinjj  angels  round  thee  keep 
Their  watch,  and  God  is  near! 
O  baby  mine, 
Sweet  dreams  be  thine  1 

If  we  as  little  children  were 

The  Lord  would  love  us  host; 
Of  such  he  said,  with  tender  care, 
Is  heaven's  eternal  rest ! 
O  baby  mine, 
V-MuiiLBACH  Sweet  dreams  be  thinel  VQL_    ]() 


602  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

The  carriage  rolled  through  the  gloomy  old  gate,  and  halted 
in  front  of  the  palace. 

"My  father!     My  beloved  father!" 

"  My  daughter !  My  beloved  Louisa !  Welcome ! — a  thou- 
sand times  welcome!"  They  embraced  each  other  and  wept 
with  joy.  He  is  no  duke,  she  is  no  queen ;  he  is  a  father,  and 
she  is  his  child ! 

From  the  arms  of  her  father  she  sank  into  those  of  her 
brother — her  darling  George.  "  Oh,  thanks,  dear  father  and 
brother,  thanks  for  this  surprise !  Now  I  shall  have  two  hours 
of  happiness  more  than  I  hoped  for,  for  I  thought  I  would 
meet  you  only  at  Neustrelitz." 

"  Come  now,  my  daughter,  come ;  the  horses  are  ready, 
and  your  old  grandmother  is  longing  for  you." 

"Grandmamma,  I  am  coming!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  and 
entered  the  carriage  as  merrily  as  a  light-hearted  child.  Her 
father  and  brother  were  at  her  side,  and  the  ladies  of  the 
queen  took  seats  in  the  duke's  coach. 

"Forward,  home!"  Her  hands  clasping  those  of  her  father 
and  her  brother,  the  queen  rode  across  the  meadows  and  wav- 
ing fields.  Was  the  death-worm  still  at  her  heart?  Which 
will  triumph,  that  or  the  queen?  She  did  triumph  for  a 
season — for  holy  love  conquers  all,  even  death. 

The  face  of  the  queen  beamed  with  happiness.  Smiles 
played  upon  her  lips ;  greetings  flashed  from  her  eyes  to  the 
people  standing  at  the  roadside,  and  loudly  cheering  her. 
She  reached  her  destination !  There  is  Neustrelitz,  there  is 
the  palace !  At  the  gate  stood  the  old  grandmother  who  had 
charge  of  Louisa  in  her  childhood,  the  old  landgravine,  now 
eighty  years  of  age.  She  stretched  out  her  arms  toward  the 
queen;  she  called  with  tender  words  for  her  foster-child,  her 
Louisa!  And  Louisa  rushed  into  the  arms  of  her  grand- 
mother. They  remained  locked  in  a  long  embrace,  weeping. 
The  duke  himself  wiped  tears  from  his  eyes.  Happiness  also 
has  tears,  and  sometimes  sadness. 

"Grandmother,"  whispered  the  queen,  "I  have  wept  a 
great  deal  in  grief  and  anguish.  Now  I  am  weeping  in  de- 
light, and  my  tears  are  praising  God!"  The  queen  was  at 
home  with  her  father,  and  under  the  roof  of  her  ancestors. 
The  storms  of  adversity  had  spent  their  fury.  Gladness 
beamed  from  her  face  as  she  welcomed  the  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances of  fomier  times. 

A  brilliant  party  was  given  at  court  on  the  second  day.     A 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  503 

ball  took  place  in  the  evening.  Numerous  guests  were  as- 
sembled in  the  festive  halls;  all  were  waiting  for  the  arrival 
of  the  queen.  Suddenly  the  folding  doors  opened ;  she  entered 
the  ball-room  leaning  on  her  father's  arm,  and  greeted  the 
assembled  guests.  How  beautiful  she  was!  Her  whole  bear- 
ing had  an  indescribable  mildness  and  majesty.  She  had 
adorned  herself,  for  the  first  time  since  her  adversity,  as  it  be- 
came a  queen.  Her  noble  figure  was  wrapped  in  a  white  satin 
dress,  and  her  bare  arms  and  neck  were  magnificently  adorned. 

"  Oh,  queen,  how  charming  you  are  to-day!"  exclaimed 
one  of  her  early  friends,  transported  with  admiration.  "  And 
how  splendid  these  pearls  are!" 

"Yes!"  said  the  queen,  "they  are.  I  value  them  very 
highly,  and  retained  them  when  I  was  obliged  to  part  with 
my  other  jewelry.  Pearls  are  more  suitable  to  me,  for  they 
denote  tears,  and  I  have  shed  many."  And  as  the  queen  ut- 
tered these  words,  she  started  and  pressed  her  hand  against 
her  heart.  Was  the  death-worm  there  again?  Was  it  pene- 
trating her  heart?  Was  it,  after  all,  stronger  than  the 
queen?  No!  Louisa  triumphed  over  it!  Joy  was  in  her 
face ;  merry  words  dropped  from  her  lips,  and  she  glided  in 
the  mazes  of  the  dance. 

And  this  day  was  followed  by  another  of  still  greater  hap- 
piness. The  king  came  to  see  again  his  longed-for  consort 
and  take  her  back  to  her  second  home,  his  house,  and  heart. 
She  was  again  united  with  her  most  faithful  friend.  She 
gazed  with  delight  at  his  fine,  manly  countenance ;  she  was 
proud  of  his  regal  form,  and  his  constant  and  earnest  love 
transported  her  with  gratitude.  As  she  looked  toward  the 
king,  who  was  leaving  the  room  with  the  duke,  in  order  to 
look  at  the  old  palace  church, — "  Oh,  George,"  she  said  to  the 
hereditary  prince,  who  had  remained  with  his  sister  in  the 
duke's  sitting-room,  "now  I  am  altogether  happy!  I  would 
like  to  repeat  it  to  all  of  you !"  And,  as  if  these  words  were 
not  sufficient,  as  if  she  ought  to  write  them  down — the  queen 
hastened  to  her  father's  desk.  She  took  a  scrap  of  paper  and 
a  pen,  and  wrote  in  a  hasty  hand:  "My  dear  father!  I  am 
very  happy  to-day  as  your  daughter,  and  as  the  wife  of  the 
best  of  husbands.  Louisa."  *  "  So,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  have 
written  it  down.  My  father  will  not  find  it  to-day,  for  we 
shall  immediately  set  out  for  Hoheuzieritz;  but  when  he  re- 

*  These  were  the  last  words  the  queen  ever  wrote.  The  king  preserved  the  scrap 
as  a  sacred  relic,  and  carried  it  constantly  iu  his  memorandum-book. 


504  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

turns  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and  steps  to  his  desk,  he  will 
find  this  greeting  from  his  Louisa,  and  it  will  gladden  him, 
and—" 

"  Why  do  you  start  so  suddenly,  my  sister?  Your  lips  are 
quivering,  and  you  look  so  pale !  What  ails  you,  dear  sister?" 

"It  is  nothing,  brother — it  is  nothing!  An  insignificant 
passing  pain  in  my  heart;  it  was  sudden,  but  it  is  nothing,  it 
is  over  now.  And  if  you  love  me,  George,  you  will  forget  it. 
You  will  not  mention  it  to  any  one,  and,  least  of  all,  to  my 
husband.  They  are  already  returning,  our  dear  ones !  Let 
us  meet  them!" 

They  went  from  Neustrelitz  to  Hohenzieritz,  the  charming 
country-seat  of  the  duke  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Tolleii.  The 
carriages  halted  in  front  of  the  palace-gate;  Louisa,  leaning 
on  the  king's  arm,  entered ;  suddenly  a  shudder  shook  her 
frame ;  a  mortal  pallor  covered  her  cheeks,  and  she  clung  con- 
vulsively to  her  husband. 

"What  ails  you,  Louisa?  Why  do  you  look  so  ill,  and 
tremble  so  violently?  What  is  the  matter?" 

"  I  am  quite  well,  my  beloved  friend,  but  I  am  cold,  and 
the  air  here  seems  close  and  oppressive  to  me ;  and  it  is  as 
silent  and  lonely  as  if  death  were  dwelling  here.  Come,  let 
us  go  into  the  garden.  Come !"  She  hastened  into  the  life 
and  sunshine  of  the  garden.  The  color  came  to  her  cheeks 
again,  and  her  eyes  assumed  their  serenity.  She  walked  with 
her  husband  through  the  long,  delightful  avenues,  and  accom- 
panied him  to  the  lake.  It  lay  before  them,  beautiful  Lake 
Tollen,  shining  like  silver,  and  fringed  with  gigantic  oaks. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Mecklenburg,  my  dear  native  country,  how 
beautiful  thou  art!"  exclaimed  the  queen,  and  an  echo  replied 
from  the  opposite  shore,  "Beautiful  thou  art!" 

"  The  echo  is  right,"  said  the  king.  "  And,  as  I  am  gazing 
at  you,  you  seem  to  me  again  the  young  princess  whom  I  saw 
seventeen  years  ago  for  the  first  time.  Your  return  to  your 
native  country  has  made  you  once  more  a  girl." 

"  But  the  girl  of  seventeen  years  ago  was  not  so  happy  as  is 
the  matron  and  mother  of  to-day,"  said  the  queen.  "  At  that 
time  I  did  not  have  you,  my  husband,  nor  my  beloved  chil- 
dren !  I  am  younger  in  my  heart  to-day  than  then,  for  love 
imparts  and  preserves  youthf ulness. " 

"  God  preserve  you  this  youth,  my  Louisa,  to  the  delight  of 
myself  and  our  children!  But  come,  it  is  cool  here  by  the 
lake,  and  you  look  pale  again."  They  returned  to  the  palace, 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  505 

and  the  queen  spent  in  the  midst  of  her  family  a  day  of  un- 
alloyed pleasure.  The  last  day! 

When  the  next  morning's  sun  shone  into  the  queen's  bed- 
room, Louisa  attempted  to  raise  herself;  her  head  fell  buck 
heavily,  and  she  pressed  her  hands  convulsively  against  her 
bosom,  exclaiming:  "Oh,  my  heart!"  Poor  queen!  The 
death- worm  was  conquering ! 

"  It  is  nothing!"  she  whispered  to  her  husband,  when  the 
struggle  was  over.  "Nothing  but  a  cold!"  she  repeated, 
when  the  doctors,  who  had  been  called  from  Neustrelitz,  came 
to  her  bedside. 

It  was  a  cold,  but  the  queen  was  unable  to  leave  her  bed  to 
accompany  the  king  to  Berlin,  when,  a  few  days  afterward, 
pressing  state  affairs  called  him  back  to  the  capital.  She  was 
obliged  to  remain  a  few  days  at  Hohenzieritz,  in  order  to  rest 
and  recover  her  strength.  But  the  few  days  became  weeks. 
She  was  still  ill,  and  suffered  as  she  had  never  suffered. 
Often,  in  the  night,  when  her  friend  Caroline  von  Berg  was 
sifting  at  her  bedside,  she  beckoned  to  her  and  whispered  in 
her  ear:  "The  conquering  death-worm!  Did  I  not  tell  you, 
Caroline,  that  it  was  attacking  my  heart?  Oh,  I  would  the 
king,  my  beloved  husband,  were  with  me!" 

Couriers  went  to  Charlottenburg  to  the  king,  and  they  came 
every  day  to  Hohenzieritz  and  inquired  in  his  name  for 
Louisa's  health.  He  himself  was  unable  to  come ;  he  was  also 
ill  with  fever,  confining  him  to  his  bed. 

"And  I  am  not  with  him!"  lamented  the  queen.  "  I  can- 
not nurse  him,  and  smile  away  his  cares!  I  am  myself  an 
object  of  anxiety  to  him!  Oh,  shall  I  not  soon  be  well  again? 
Tell  me,  dear  Doctor  Ileim,  you  whom  the  king  has  sent,  shall 
I  not  soon  be  well,  that  I  may  nurse  my  husband?" 

"  Yes,  your  majesty,  if  it  please  God,  you  will  soon  be  well. 
But  now  let  me  deliver  to  you  a  letter  from  the  king,  which 
his  majesty  has  intrusted  to  me." 

Louisa's  eyes  beamed  with  joy;  she  opened  the  letter  and 
read  it.  The  words  of  tender  love  and  ardent  longing  which 
the  king  addressed  to  her  brought  tears  to  her  eyes.  "  What 
a  letter!"  she  exclaimed.  "  How  happy  is  she  who  receives 
such!"  She  kissed  the  paper  and  then  laid  it  on  her  heart. 
"  It  shall  remain  there,  and  will  cure  me  better  than  all  your 
medicine,  doctor.  If  the  spasms  would  only  leave  me,  I 
should  be  well!  When  they  seize  me,  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that  my  end  is  drawing  nigh." 


506  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

Doctor  Heim  made  no  reply;  he  turned  and  prescribed 
cooling  beverages  and  anodynes.  No  one  but  God  was  able 
to  help  her.  Her  spasms  became  frequent  and  violent,  and 
she  often  cried — "Air!  air!  I  am  dying!"  She  yearned  more 
and  more  for  her  husband  and  children. 

"Doctor!  must  I  die,  then?  Shall  I  be  taken  from  the 
king  and  from  my  children?"  The  doctor  made  no  reply. 

" My  God,  I  am  young  to  die!"  groaned  the  queen.  "  Life 
has  still  to  fulfil  many  promises  to  me ;  I  have  shed  many 
tears  and  suffered  much!  Oh,  there  are  these  dreadful  spasms 
again !  Doctor,  help  me !  Ah,  nothing  but  death  can  help 
me!" 

It  was  in  the  night  of  the  18th  of  July  that  the  queen 
uttered  these  complaints  to  her  physicians.  It  was  a  stormy 
night,  and  the  gigantic  trees  in  the  garden  of  Hohenzieritz 
rustled  weirdly  and  dark.  The  silence  of  the  palace  was 
broken  only  by  low  groans. 

It  was  dawning  when  a  carriage  rolled  into  the  palace-yard. 
The  duke  hastened  out.  A  pale  man  alighted  and  rushed 
toward  him.  "How  is  she?  How  is  Louisa?" 

The  duke  was  unable  to  make  a  reply.  He  took  the  king's 
arm  and  conducted  him  into  the  palace.  The  two  sons  of  the 
king,  who  had  arrived  with  their  father,  followed  them  in 
silence  and  with  bowed  heads.  The  duke  conducted  the  king 
into  his  room,  where  he  found  the  old  landgravine  and  the 
three  physicians  of  the  queen. 

Frederick  William  saluted  the  princess  only  with  a  silent 
nod ;  he  then  turned  his  quivering  face  toward  the  physicians. 
"  How  is  the  queen?"  he  asked.  "  What  hopes  have  you?" 

They  made  no  reply,  standing  before  him  with  gloomy  faces 
and  downcast  eyes.  The  king's  face  turned  livid,  and,  press- 
ing his  hand  upon  his  forehead,  covered  with  perspiration, 
he  said,  sternly  and  imperiously,  "Eeply  to  me,  I  want  to 
know  the  truth!  How  is  the  queen?  What  hopes  have 
you?" 

"  No  hopes  whatever,  your  majesty,"  said  Dr.  Heim, 
solemnly.  "  It  is  an  organic  disease  of  the  heart,  and  in  such 
cases  our  skill  is  powerless.  The  queen  has  but  a  few  hours 
to  live!" 

The  king  staggered  back  to  the  wall.  He  neither  spoke 
nor  wept,  so  great  was  his  sorrow.  The  venerable  old  land- 
gravine went  to  him  and  laid  her  hand  gently  on  his  shoulder. 
"Hope  still,  my  son,"  she  said,  solemnly,  "Louisa  still  lives, 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  507 

and  so  long  as  she  lives  there  is  hope.  God  in  His  mercy  may 
yet  preserve  her  to  us!" 

The  king  shook  his  head  despairingly.  "Ah,"  lie  cried  in 
a  husky,  sombre  voice,  "  if  she  were  not  mine,  she  would  live. 
But  as  she  is  my  wife,  she  will  surely  die !  But  I  will  see  her, 
I  must  see  her!  So  long  as  she  lives  she  belongs  to  me!" 

"  I  will  go  and  inform  the  queen  that  the  king  has  arrived," 
said  Heim,  and  hastened  into  the  sick-room. 

A  few  minutes  elapsed,  and  Louisa's  voice  exclaimed :  "  My 
Frederick!  my  beloved  husband,  come  to  me!" 

The  king  rushed  to  her  room,  the  door  of  which  had  just 
been  opened  by  Dr.  Heim.  The  queen  lay  on  her  couch,  pale 
and  beautiful  as  a  broken  lily. 

"My  husband!  n>y  beloved  friend!"  she  exclaimed,  raising 
herself  and  endeavoring  to  stretch  out  her  arms  toward  the 
king,  who  stood  at  her  bedside,  but  alas,  she  was  unable  to  do 
so.  "Oh,"  whispered  Louisa,  sadly,  "lam  a  queen,  but  can- 
not move  rny  arms!" 

The  king  bent  over,  and,  pressing  her  against  his  breast, 
kissed  her  beloved  face.  Louisa  smiled,  laid  her  head  on  his 
shoulder  and  looked  at  him  long  and  tenderly.  "  You  are 
here!  You  are  mine  again!  But  how  are  the  children? 
Have  you  come  alone?" 

"  No,"  said  the  king,  "  our  two  oldest  sons  accompany  me." 

"My  sons!  Where  are  they?"  exclaimed  the  queen.  "Let 
me  see  them,  oh,  pray  let  me  see  my  sons!" 

Heim  hastened  out  and  returned  with  the  Princes  Fred- 
erick and  William.  With  eyes  filled  with  tears,  they  stepped 
on  tiptoe  to  the  bedside  of  the  queen. 

"My  children!"  exclaimed  Louisa,  in  a  loud,  powerful 
voice,  and  she  raised  herself  up.  Her  maternal  love  gave  her 
strength  to  extend  her  arms. 

"Oh,  my  children,  my  beloved  children!"  She  pressed 
them  to  her  bosom,  kissing  them  with  the  passionate  tender- 
ness of  a  mother. 

The  two  young  princes,  entirely  overcome  by  grief,  sank  on 
their  knees  at  the  bedside  of  their  mother.  She  laid  her  hands 
on  their  heads,  as  if  to  bless  them,  and  lifted  her  eyes  to  the 
king,  who,  pale  and  silent,  was  gazing  at  her  in  unutterable 
despair. 

"Now  I  am  happy,"  breathed  the  queen.  "You  are  with 
me,  and  my  beloved  sons!" 

The  king's  sorrow  was  overpowering  him,  and  ho  quickly 


508  NAPOLEON  AND  QUEEN  LOUISA. 

turned  and  left  the  room.  Heim  approached  the  princes  and 
begged  them  in  a  low  voice  to  withdraw,  because  the  queen 
was  unable  to  bear  so  much  excitement.  They  rose  from  their 
knees  and  kissed  their  mother's  hands.  Louisa  was  so  faint 
that  she  could  greet  her  children  only  with  a  smile,  and  was 
unable  to  bear  their  presence  longer.  But  her  eyes  followed 
them  steadfastly  until  they  had  withdrawn. 

She  lay  long  silent  and  motionless,  and  then  whispered  to 
her  sister,  the  Princess  of  Solms:  "  The  king  acted  as  though 
he  wished  to  take  leave  of  me.  Tell  him  not  to  do  so,  else  I 
shall  die  immediately.  But  where  is  he?  Where  is  my  hus- 
band? Oh,  why  is  he  not  with  me?" 

Frederick  William  stood  in  a  corner  of  the  anteroom,  his 
head  leaning  against  the  wall,  his  hands  pressed  against  his 
breast,  in  order  to  suppress  the  sobs  which  escaped  from  it  in 
spite  of  him.  His  eyes  were  tearless;  his  quivering  lips  were 
murmuring:  " My  wife  is  dying !  She  is  dying!" 

"Louisa  wishes  to  see  you,"  whispered  the  Princess  of 
Solms,  approaching  him.  "But,  pray  be  gentle;  do  not 
manifest  your  grief;  Louisa  says  that  else  she  would  die 
immediately." 

"No,"  said  the  king,  sternly,  "she  shall  not  die.  I  will 
endeavor  to  be  calm!"  And,  restraining  his  grief,  he  stepped 
to  the  queen's  bedside.  "  I  just  had  a  conference  with  the 
physicians,"  he  said,  almost  smilingly.  "  They  make  me  hope 
for  the  best.  Indeed,  I  never  believed  that  you  were  in  dan- 
ger ;  I  was  only  deeply  moved  because  I  saw  you  suffering  so 
intensely." 

The  queen  looked  him  full  in  the  face,  and  made  no  reply. 
The  king  sat  down  on  her  bed  and  took  her  right  hand. 
Louisa  pressed  his  hand  gently,  and  fixed  her  eyes  with  a 
thoughtful  and  grave  expression  on  his  countenance.  Sud- 
denly a  dark  shadow  passed  over  her  face.  "It  is  coming! 
It  is  coming!"  she  cried  in  a  tone  of  heart-rending  anguish, 
and  started  up  in  excruciating  pain. 

The  king  went  to  the  door  and  called  the  physicians,  who 
hastened  into  the  room,  followed  by  the  duke,  the  princes, 
and  the  whole  family.  Madame  von  Berg  raised  the  groaning 
sufferer.  The  physicians  were  standing  in  the  middle  of  the 
room.  "  We  cannot  help  her.  It  is  the  last  convulsion!" 

"Air!  air!"  cried  the  queen. 

Frederick  William  bent  over  her  with  tearless  eyes.  The 
agony  she  was  suffering  paralyzed  his  heart. 


LOUISA'S  DEATH.  509 

"Lord,  end  my  sufferings!"  cried  the  queen,  with  a  last 
effort,  and  her  head  sank  back  into  the  arms  of  Madame  von 
Berg.  Another  sigh — a  long,  tremulous  sigh.  The  clock 
struck  nine.  A  solemn  silence  reigned  in  the  palace.  The 
queen  was  dead! 


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